Socio-Economic Analysis of Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater in West Bengal [electronic resource] /
Das, Abhijit.author.
Roy, Joyashree.author.
Chakrabarti, Sayantan.author.
This book presents a socio-economic analysis of the issues linking technological innovation in providing arsenic-safe drinking water in rural areas. It presents concrete field based experiences of experiments and case studies depicting the plight and sufferings of people due to failed technological deployment strategies over the past two decades in West Bengal, the most arsenic-exposed state in India and also the first to act for remediation of the crisis. One of the greatest challenges in arsenic-exposed zones is to provide sustainable access to reliably arsenic-safe free water. For nearly twenty years the Government of India and national water distribution institutions in collaboration with multi-lateral funding agencies have sought to pump in money, push technology collected through global tenders, and enlist the support of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), but their efforts have yielded little success. This book is the outcome of the authors’ intensive fieldwork, guided by the conceptual framework of the latest literature on environmental economics and consumer behaviour. It presents a framework and estimates based on field level primary data. Secondary official source-based data are also collated from various scattered sources into a valuable, comprehensive collection. Lastly, the book includes a revealing analysis of factors affecting households’ participation.
Description based upon print version of record.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Chapter 1. The Plight -- Chapter 2. How much is too much? -- Chapter 3. Right to water -- Chapter 4. The shades of suffering -- Chapter 5. Are we 'learning from doing'? -- Chapter 6. Who served the poison? -- Chapter 7. In love with the ‘Devil’s Water’ -- Chapter 8. The assassin on the move -- Chapter 9. Malignant intentions -- Chapter 10. The opening of the Pandora’s Box -- Chapter 11. Spilling the beans -- Chapter 12. Threats to Sustainability -- Chapter 13. The Value of Human Life -- Chapter 14. Pricing the Life? -- Chapter 15. A catastrophe sans border.
This book presents a socio-economic analysis of the issues linking technological innovation in providing arsenic-safe drinking water in rural areas. It presents concrete field based experiences of experiments and case studies depicting the plight and sufferings of people due to failed technological deployment strategies over the past two decades in West Bengal, the most arsenic-exposed state in India and also the first to act for remediation of the crisis. One of the greatest challenges in arsenic-exposed zones is to provide sustainable access to reliably arsenic-safe free water. For nearly twenty years the Government of India and national water distribution institutions in collaboration with multi-lateral funding agencies have sought to pump in money, push technology collected through global tenders, and enlist the support of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), but their efforts have yielded little success. This book is the outcome of the authors’ intensive fieldwork, guided by the conceptual framework of the latest literature on environmental economics and consumer behaviour. It presents a framework and estimates based on field level primary data. Secondary official source-based data are also collated from various scattered sources into a valuable, comprehensive collection. Lastly, the book includes a revealing analysis of factors affecting households’ participation.
Environmental economics.
Environmental pollution.
Health economics.
Environmental Economics.
Waste Water Technology / Water Pollution Control / Water Management / Aquatic Pollution.
Water Policy/Water Governance/Water Management.
Health Economics.