I was appointed Representative for Bangladesh in 1998. Despite being a Pakistani, I was set for a smooth sailing, because of UNICEF’s being held in great respect there for its work after Independence.
All was well to start with, but soon the news broke out which sent shock waves not just in Bangladesh but all over the world. International newspapers initially broke the story that the ground water of Bangladesh was contaminated with Arsenic, a deadly poison, drinking of which had affected more than seventy million people. This came to light when several people showed signs of arsenic poisoning with cancers on their hands, feet etc. UNICEF was named as being responsible since it had installed million of handpumps to provide safe drinking water soon after independence. Ironically this was originally considered a big achievement as people, were drinking water from heavily polluted and contaminated ponds which had caused many serious waterborne diseases including cholera.
With UNICEF named as being responsible for what was termed as poisoning of people with Arsenic in the local and international press, all hell broke lose. UNICEF was besieged by local NGOS and inundated with reporters from major local and international newspapers including the NewYork Times, The Guardian, BBC , TV channels. Christian Amanpour interviewed the UNICEF Executive Director, who visited Bangladesh several times and '60 minutes' ran a program titled “Path to hell is with good intentions” and showed the UNICEF logo next to a handpump which had red-colored water gushing out.
The disaster was compared to Chernoybl and several cases reportedly were instituted against UNICEF in the local courts, resulting in a crisis that threatened to tarnish the good name and work of UNICEF not just in Bangladesh but globally as well.
UNICEF was rightly concerned not just to protect its reputation but most importantly to find a solution to this hitherto unknown phenomenon.
What was so confounding was that never before was arsenic found in alluvial soil which constituted the acquifer of Bangladesh. Also while one handpump was found drawing contaminated water, another one five feet away was not. Furthermore people were not only used to the convenience of handpumps, they had no alternative source of water as the ponds that were contaminated to start with were now being used for sericulture and were no less polluted than before
What was to be done in such a situation by UNICEF???
All was well to start with, but soon the news broke out which sent shock waves not just in Bangladesh but all over the world. International newspapers initially broke the story that the ground water of Bangladesh was contaminated with Arsenic, a deadly poison, drinking of which had affected more than seventy million people. This came to light when several people showed signs of arsenic poisoning with cancers on their hands, feet etc. UNICEF was named as being responsible since it had installed million of handpumps to provide safe drinking water soon after independence. Ironically this was originally considered a big achievement as people, were drinking water from heavily polluted and contaminated ponds which had caused many serious waterborne diseases including cholera.
With UNICEF named as being responsible for what was termed as poisoning of people with Arsenic in the local and international press, all hell broke lose. UNICEF was besieged by local NGOS and inundated with reporters from major local and international newspapers including the NewYork Times, The Guardian, BBC , TV channels. Christian Amanpour interviewed the UNICEF Executive Director, who visited Bangladesh several times and '60 minutes' ran a program titled “Path to hell is with good intentions” and showed the UNICEF logo next to a handpump which had red-colored water gushing out.
The disaster was compared to Chernoybl and several cases reportedly were instituted against UNICEF in the local courts, resulting in a crisis that threatened to tarnish the good name and work of UNICEF not just in Bangladesh but globally as well.
UNICEF was rightly concerned not just to protect its reputation but most importantly to find a solution to this hitherto unknown phenomenon.
What was so confounding was that never before was arsenic found in alluvial soil which constituted the acquifer of Bangladesh. Also while one handpump was found drawing contaminated water, another one five feet away was not. Furthermore people were not only used to the convenience of handpumps, they had no alternative source of water as the ponds that were contaminated to start with were now being used for sericulture and were no less polluted than before
What was to be done in such a situation by UNICEF???
- First and foremost the people had to be informed to test their water pumps and to use only the water from pumps safe for drinking . Hence a massive public information and relation campaign was launched.
- Secondly, a massive testing program was launched for which support was sought from communities, NGOs, Government departments, and even the army, to test each and every one of millions of handpumps in the country and to mark the safe ones green and the contaminated ones red.
- Thirdly, reliable testing kits had to be sourced globally and procured and to set up local production as the ones from overseas were too costly. Supply Division was of immense help as always.
- Fourthly, means had to be found to remove Arsenic from water for which local solutions were also researched and undertaken by NGOs that UNICEF partnered with.
- Fifthly measures had to be taken to filter pond water from existing contaminants. This was also undertaken in selected areas
Meanwhile hundreds of fly-by-night companies were inundating the country selling their technologies and products.
UNICEF mounted a massive campaign through harnessing the commitment, capacities, and credibility of Bangladesh’s NGOs including BRAC and Grameen to test millions of tube wells, inform the people, develop indigenous solutions to remove Arsenic from water, and install filtering plants near public ponds.
Editorial boards and journalists of major newspapers and other media and partners were briefed about the Arsenic issue, to dispel the myths, provide accurate information to the public, and share success stories. Most importantly, UNICEF partnered with the Government of Bangladesh, national NGOs and major donors including the World Bank to provide policy, program and communication support; in this way they became part of the solution to avert the national disaster and human tragedy of immense proportion.
UNICEF mounted a massive campaign through harnessing the commitment, capacities, and credibility of Bangladesh’s NGOs including BRAC and Grameen to test millions of tube wells, inform the people, develop indigenous solutions to remove Arsenic from water, and install filtering plants near public ponds.
Editorial boards and journalists of major newspapers and other media and partners were briefed about the Arsenic issue, to dispel the myths, provide accurate information to the public, and share success stories. Most importantly, UNICEF partnered with the Government of Bangladesh, national NGOs and major donors including the World Bank to provide policy, program and communication support; in this way they became part of the solution to avert the national disaster and human tragedy of immense proportion.
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