BJP demands arsenic-free water in Bhojpur & Buxar

ARA: The Bhojpur unit of BJP staged a dharna and threatened to launch a massive state-wide agitation on the issue of arsenic contaminated water in several villages that are situated along the Ganga.
The party on Saturday held the dharna near the Ara collectorate in which former minister Janak Ram, Barhara MLA Raghvendra Pratap Singh, BJP Bhojpur district president Durga Raj and hundreds of party office bearers, local leaders and party workers took part.Later the BJP delegation met the Bhojpur DM Raj Kumar and demanded arsenic-free pure potable water in the district.
Raising serious concern over high level of arsenic in water, BJP Barhara MLA Raghvendra Pratap Singh said, "Today right from Barhara to Shahpur and even in Buxar, hundreds of villages adjacent to the Ganga are facing serious problem of arsenic contaminated water. Several people in my constituency itself are suffering from fatal diseases like cancer and stomach-related ailments.
The problem has aggravated by the fact that the water-level is constantly going down. People living in Barhara, Shahpur and Buxar are compelled to drink arsenic-contaminated water. Consequently, hapless people are putting their lives at risk by consuming toxic water. Though 40 to 50 villages are provided pure potable water from the water treatment plant, hundreds of villages are still affected. The state government must do the needful to eradicate the menace. I thank my party that it has chosen to raise the issue which is affecting hundreds of villagers living along the Ganga."
Former minister Janak Ram raised the issue of the water level going down along the Sone river due to illegal sand mining.
BJP Bhojpur district president Durga Raj said, "Due to indifferent attitude of the state government hundreds of villagers in the district are compelled to drink water having high-level of toxic arsenic. If the government does not come up with a solution, the party will launch a state-wide agitation soon." The party leaders also demanded the state government should issue a special health card for treatment of those people who are affected due to arsenic contaminated water.