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An artificial intelligence-based system has been developed by the researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur to detect arsenic pollution in drinking water. The researchers also did the survey on the low and high arsenic zones using AI across the entire Gangetic Delta and the number of individuals being exposed to these areas.

The international journal 'Science of the Total Environment' has also published this study.

The researchers mentioned that the prognostic foundation could be used in other parts of the country suffering from groundwater pollutants as well as for distinguishing the drinking water resources affected by arsenic in West Bengal.

Madhumita Chakraborty, research scholar and one of the author, said, "Our AI models predict the occurrence of high arsenic in groundwater across more than half of the Ganges river delta, covering more than 25 percent area in each of the 19 out of 25 administrative zones in West Bengal".

The researchers also mentioned that all the provided information is the benchmark for the Government of India's Jal Jeevan Mission.

Prof Abhijit Mukherjee, research team leader who is also a professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at IIT Kharagpur, said that the objective of the mission is to provide the safe drinking water to every domiciliary of the country within 2024 and the conclusion of the research will help in furnishing information for the safe groundwater's location.

The Artificial Intelligence algorithms on geological, environmental and human usage specifications have been used by the researchers.