A new rice variety that is suitable for areas with high arsenic has been developed by the Rice Research Station at Chinsurah under West Bengal’s Agriculture Department and the National Botanical Research Institute.
Muktoshri (IET 21845) has been shown to uptake a lower amount of arsenic from soil and groundwater in comparison to other varieties of rice. Thus the new variety can help limit the entry of the substance into the food chain through paddy consumption.
Arsenic contamination of groundwater in Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Howrah, Hoogly, and Burdwan Districts in West Bengal has become a serious problem. Arsenic contamination of groundwater in West Bengal leads to adverse effects on human health and has been reported to be on the rise.
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