The concluding ceremony of the Clear Water for Peace Project was held recently in Golaidanga, a remote village of Manikganj district, says a press release.

The project was initiated by Johns Hopkins University (USA) in cooperation with the nonprofit cultural and educational organisation Drishty Chittagong.

The project was aimed at mitigating arsenic pollution in underground water, and was led by two of the Johns Hopkins students-- Paul Baublitz and Minhaj Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi American.

Funded by The Davis Projects for Peace Programme, the project was carried out in the rural area of Golaidanga, Singair union of Manikganj, which is one of the most arsenic-affected areas of the country.

There is not a single tube well in Golaidanga that is arsenic free. This has led to various forms of arsenicosis amongst the villagers. For this reason, 100 Sono Filters were distributed amongst the villagers, which are considered as the gold standard quality. Costing $ 40 each, the filters are expected to provide the villagers with a good source of arsenic-free water.

The project also initiated awareness campaign in the school-goers and common people, teaching them the harmful effects of arsenic toxicities and ways of staying away from being an arsenicosis sufferer.

The concluding ceremony was attended by the local Chairman, Headmaster of Golaidanga Govt. High School, Drishty President Masud Bakul and Drishty Secretary Saif Chowdhury, among others.

Johns Hopkins University students hope to have a good relationship with Bangladesh in future, so that they can continue their efforts to mitigate arsenic problem.