SHERPUR, Dec 31: Five special type deep tube-wells are being installed in the municipal area to supply arsenic-free water Io the residents, reports UNB.

Water supply section of the Sherpur Municipality is implementing the Dutch-aided project under 18-Town Development Scheme at a cost of Tk 2.40 lakh.

Municipality chairman Advocate M A Samad formally inaugurated the work on the project in the first week of December.

The tube-wells. 1,000 feet deep each, are being installed at Kasba-Namapara. Kasba-Shi-boltar. Dlgharpara. Haliganj and Shelknhatl areas of the

municipality.

Another 20 such deep tubewells will be set up in phases In different areas of the town.

According to the water supply section of the Municipality, severe traces of arsenic were detected in lube-wells 100 feet deep In the municipal areas.

During test, arsenic content of 3 mg was detected In some of the tube-wells against tolerable limit of 0.5 mg.

The several affected tubewells were marked with red colour and sealed.

Another report from Chand-pur adds: Arsenic panic heightened among the people of Faridganj thana of Chandpur with death of five people of a family by arsenic disease.

Water of cent per cent tube wells of a union of the thana was found highly contaminated with arsenic in a survey recently conducted by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED).

An official of the PHED said a 12-day survey was carried out In Gobinda Chandra union of the thana that concluded on De cember 14. Nine trained persons led by Chief Hydrologist Mohiuddin Khan examined the sample of tubewell water.

The report revealed that all the 1.090 tube-wells baring one in the union yielded arsenic water. Five people of a family have died of arsenic disease in the village.