KILLING WATER

High levels of arsenic have been found in the groundwater in many areas around Lahore, Pakistan. Many cases of bone deformities have been reported from these areas. Geochemists say that the presence of arsenic alongside fluoride has further aggravated the health related problems in these areas. A survey conducted by a team of environmental geochemists from the Geological Survey of Pakistan's Geoscience Laboratory, Islamabad, has reported that the content of calcium in the water samples surveyed in the area was found to be low. This is believed to be one of the factors responsible for bone deformities.