A group of scientists in Bangalore have a dream: to create a district-wise lead map of India, showing areas heavily contaminated with the toxic heavy metal. "The map will pinpoint lead alert zones in a city and inform people about the associated risks so that they can take precautionary measures. It will also help develop a national strategy for prevention and control lead pollution in the country,' says Thuppil Venkatesh, director of Bangalore-based National Referral Centre for Lead Poisoning in India (nrclpi), who is leading the project. The dream is already turning into reality: work is already underway in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, with nrclpi playing a leading role.

The project began a year back as an enthusiastic idea among a handful of scientists. Initially, only people suspected to be suffering from lead poisoning were screened for blood lead levels. This lead to a question: what were the sources of poisoning? So started the long journey. It was decided that various sources of lead in Bangalore would be mapped. Lead levels were monitored in air, water, soil and human blood. A pattern emerged. Areas with high levels of lead in the environment had people with higher lead levels in blood. In some cases, blood lead levels as high as 75 microgrammes per decilitre (