This is story of Samta, a sleepy village in southwestern Bangladesh - calm and quiet, and full of traditional natural beauty. A small river called Betna is flowing beside the village, which is not extraordinary in nature, but has some certain reasons to be different from others.

Now, nobody wants to marry any girl of Samta, nobody wants to choose bridegroom from the village. The reason is that Arsenic was found in the groundwater of the village at alarming level. Water of 97 percent tube-wells of the village is unsuitable for drinking due to Arsenic contamination.

Symptoms of diseases caused by Arsenic have been found in the bodies of 97 percent people. 16 people already died from Arsenic related diseases and some others are making their journey towards inevitable death. The people of Samta do not know to what extent they are responsible for the disaster or for which reasons they have become isolated from others and are deprived of the sympathies of their neighbors who preferred to keep themselves away from them.

The village Samta is in Sharsha thana of Jessore district. Some 4841 people live in Samta, in an area of 3.2 square kilometer. Dhaka Community Hospital carried out a survey and tested the water of 265 tube-wells out of the total 279 of the village. It was found that only 2 percent or five tube-wells are safe from Arsenic contamination. Arsenic upto the maximum permissible level was found in the water o 7 percent or 18 tube-wells while the water of the rest 91 percent or 242 tube-wells were found totally unsuitable for drinking.

Besides, Miazaki University of Japan, the Japan-based Asia Arsenic Network and Bangladesh institute of Preventive and Social Medicine also carried out survey at Samta in March 1997. According to their statistics, there are 284 tube-wells in the village and only 10 of them are safe. Arsenic upto the maximum permissible level was found in the water of 13 tube-wells while the rest 92 percent or 261 tube-wells were found contaminated alarmingly.

Ten years back, nobody in the village could understand the reason behind the strange diseases which affected their skin, eye, Lungs, stomach and intestines. When they found that their skin was pigmented and ulcerated, they thought that it might be leprosy. Some of them thought that it was symptoms of cancer. But the real reason of the diseases was detected in January 1997, when a team of experts, led by Dr. Dipankar Chakraborty, carried out a study at the village. They found at least 330 people infected with skin diseases and identified Arsenic pollution as the main reason behind it. They apprehended that the number of affected people is higher than the number of detected.

While conducting preliminary survey, they collected the samples of hair, nails and urine of 334 people and found 99 people affected with Arsenic-related skin diseases. The skins 120 people were found not affected with skin diseases caused by Arsenic while 27 were found safe.

But a disastrous picture reverted when the samples were tested in laboratory. The presence of Arsenic at dangerous level was found in the urine of 324 people (97%), in the hair of 284 people (85%) and in the nails of 321 people (96%), out of the total 334.

Later Dhaka Community Hospital collected urine samples from 301 more people including children. 118 of them were suffering from skin problems caused by Arsenic. The result of the laboratory test of these samples was more disastrous. Arsenic was found at safe level in the urine of only 8 people (3%) while the presence of Arsenic at dangerous level was found in the urine of the rest 293 people (97%). After completion of the study, the report apprehended that most of the people of the village were affected with Arsenic.

Till September 1997, 16 people reportedly died of Arsenic pollution. They were identified as Mrs. X (40), Mr. Y (18), Mr.B (45), C (15), Mr. T (30), Mr. Z (40), D (17), E (12), Mrs. F(40),  (35), Mrs. G  (65), Mrs H (40), Mr. I (45), Mr. L (30), Mr. M (40) and Mr. N (34). Mr. N was alive when Dhaka Community Hospital conducted the survey in January 1997. He died two months later.

Another Arsenic victim, Rezaul, son of Lokman Moral of the village, who could avert death, but his family was destroyed by the curse of Arsenic pollution. After this mother died of Arsenic, his step-mother Aklima khatun left the house forever and went to her paternal home. After being attacked by arsenic, Rezaul was admitted to local Buruzbagan Thana Health Complex in critical condition. He received treatment there for three months and returned home safely. But still he feels himself too weak while walking even a short distance. Rezaul said they could not identify the reason of the death of his mother Fulsurat Begum who deed five years ago. They did not know about Arsenic and could not think for what reason her body was being rotten.

Rezaul has two brothers and three sisters. One of his sisters was married to a ma from Deuli, a village across the river Betna and two kilometer away from Samta. She is the only member of his family who was not affected by Arsenic.

After the death of first wife, Rezaul's father Lokman Moral marriee to Aklima Khatun of village Ghatbaria in Jhikorgachha thana. But Aklima did not continue her conjugal life with Lokman Moral due to fear of Arsenic. She once came to Samta and then returned to her own village.

Only one member of Rezaul's family deed of Arsenic poisoning. But four members of the family of Daud Ali and three members of the family Abdus Sattar Babu fell victims to Arsenic diseases.