March 1998
Thanks to foreign aid, Bangladeshi water supplies have been clean and clear for years. Now it emerges, 50 million are at risk of water-borne arsenic poisoning.

Hand pumps have been promoted by aid agencies and the government for the past 20 years. The world had helped Bangladesh solve its problem of diseased water, in a country where millions used to die from water-borne diseases. But now evidence suggests it contains arsenic, which is killing Bangladeshis. In Kutubpur, villager Garribukler has 35 times the safe level of arsenic. His hair and skin samples are analysed with chilling results. Doctor Roy says he's likely to get cancer due to the arsenic in his skin. Other villagers show the stone-like beads covering their bodies, a sign of poisoning. Bangladeshis face a nightmarish dilemma, partly of the international aid agencies' making: to drink polluted water or risk a slow, painful death by arsenic poisoning. Deepak Bajracharya of UNICEF says 'It's psychological trauma. Drinking water is a basic need. We don't want this symbol of life turned into death'

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures (less info)