In Bangladesh, arsenic in groundwater above 0.05 mg/1, the maximum permissible limit laid down by WHO, was found in 41 out of 64 districts. People suffering from arsenicosis have been identified in 20 districts out of 21 districts we have surveyed so far.

Arsenic has been found in groundwater in seven districts of West Bengal covering an area 37,493 km having about 34 million population. Our survey indicates that 560 villages are arsenic-affected and more than a million people are drinking arsenic contaminated water and more than 200,000 people are suffering from arsenic-related diseases.

Middle aged Munni, a Tharu tribal of Panchpera village in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, was one of the area's first women to be trained as a handpump mechanic in 1990. Considered the best in the area, she is responsible for 41 pumps, thre

Argues that excessive fluorides in groundwater are a serious water quality problem in some parts of Sri Lanka. The incidence of dental fluorosis shows a high correlation with the presence of groundwater in certain areas. Tube wells constructed in various rock types have shown different fluoride concentrations, possibly due to the different mineral constituents in these rocks and their relative capability of releasing fluoride ions into groundwater. It has been observed that the tube wells located in the dry zone have higher fluoride concentrations than those in the wet zone.

The groundwater circulation is limited in Sri Lanka because nine tenth area of the island is underlain by metamorphic hard rocks which are generally very impermeable. Therefore to satisfy the water demand some other possibilities of water resources should be explored before starting a groundwater investigation programme for a given area.