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Arsenic Mapping for North 24- Pargana District of West Bengal –using GIS and Remote Sensing technology
Balen Basu,PCI Geomatics
Technical Manager
Email: basu@pcigeomatics.com
Samik Sil
Sr. Product Executive
Email: samik_sil@yahoo.com
PCI Software Pvt. Ltd.,CB-55,Salt Lake, Calcutta-700064
Ph-033-2337-3172,Fax- 033-2359-8071
Abstract
The healthy living of citizens depends upon the successful and optimal exploitation of the natural resources, however a slight imbalance in any equilibrium is bound to manifest itself in the form of what we call as environmental hazard. Understanding the natural occurrence of any hazardous materials, its chemical and mineral forms in the surface environment is of paramount importance in assessing the sources and pathways contributing to human exposure. Arsenic is one such element within Group V b of the Periodic Table, but is often incorrectly referred to as a metal. It is ubiquitous in the environment, usually being present in small amounts in all rocks, soil, dust, water, air and biological tissues. Though the various effects of arsenic on human body is understood, but the knowledge of its source, hydro geochemistry and pathway is still under research and study.
The present project was aimed at mapping the arsenic presence, the contour of its concentration and the depth of its presence in the district of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, India. For the purpose, Geographical Information system and Satellite Image Processing was used to identify, locate, map and analyze the existing data on the district for modeling the hazard zones in the district. Though arsenic mapping requires a broad zonal understanding of the whole dynamics to achieve a strategic mapping and remediation, yet the present study at block level for a single district can act as a precursor to the whole process to initiate and set a strategic model subsequently. Satellite image IRS 1C ( LISS) has been used along with the block map from district and planning series of NATMO, for preparing the base map. This project is an unique example of applying GIS and Remote Sensing for environmental mapping.
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