Groundwater contamination due to Pond ash water

Contamination of groundwater, either from anthropogenic or natural sources with several social impacts, has now-turned to be a major environmental concern in different parts of the World. Millions of people in several countries are exposed to high levels of As via intake of As-rich groundwater. Arsenicosis causes dire consequences for the livelihood, family life and earning capability when individuals fall victim. Deterioration in physical appearance makes women socially excluded. At larger perspectives elevated As contamination of a region may result in societal-stress, disability in individuals, poverty, and decreased market value of potentially contaminated agricultural-products leading to low income to the affected farmers. Absence of taste, odour, colour and exposure make As impossible for a layman to detect and avoid. Applying the WHO provisional guideline for drinking water of 10–50 ppb of As, a population of more than 100 million people worldwide is at risk and of these more than 45 million people mainly in developing countries from Asia are at risk of being exposed to more than 50 ppb of As, which is the maximum concentration limit in drinking water in most of the countries in Asia. In this paper, the cause of arsenic contamination and effect of drinking of contaminated ground water in an area of Salem district of Tamil Nadu due to percolation of Ash pond water into ground water near to 840 MW Mettur Thermal Power Station has been discussed in detail.