Faced with high fluoride content in ground water in several villages, Andhra Pradesh has enlisted the support of a Tata group company for providing cost-effective technologies for purifying water in the affected areas.

Tata Projects Limited Managing Director K.P. Singh Saturday called on Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy here to demonstrate an economically viable water purification plant for resolving the problem.

The chief minister has now asked officials to prepare a feasibility report on using the technology in fluoride affected districts.

He suggested that women’s thrift groups in rural areas could operate water purification plants and sell water at Rs.1 per 20 litres. He said this would not only provide sustainable income to women’s groups but will also bring a quantum jump in the health conditions of people in affected villages.

Singh informed the chief minister that similar water purification machines with capacities of 100 litres, 200 litres and 1,000 litres had been installed in six villages of Warangal and Nalgonda districts on an experimental basis.

Reddy said his government was giving top priority to safe drinking water supply in fluoride affected districts and has made additional allocations in the budget. For instance, the worst affected Nalgonda district has been allocated Rs.3.5 billion.

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