Vijay Vineet

More than half the world’s population eats rice every day. For many communities across South and South-East Asia, it supplies nearly half their daily calories. But in a broad swathe of the Gangetic plains—from eastern Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal—this staple is carrying something it should not: arsenic. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in soil and rocks. It is colourless, odourless, and tasteless. It does not announce itself.

More than half the world’s population eats rice every day. For many communities across South and South-East Asia, it supplies nearly half their daily calories. But in a broad swathe of the Gangetic plains—from eastern Uttar Pradesh to West Bengal—this staple is carrying something it should not: arsenic. Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in soil and rocks. It is colourless, odourless, and tasteless. It does not announce itself.

Bhadohi, known worldwide as the Carpet Capital of Uttar Pradesh, is struggling with its very identity. In its Jaddupur village, mornings once rang with the clatter of looms. As sunlight touched the dusty lanes, a steady hum rose, carrying carpets of red, blue, green, and gold from floor to dream. That music has gone silent. On August 27, the United States imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian exports.