Thousands of villagers have been affected, many of them crippled for life, by drinking water containing excessive levels of fluorides in some parts of Karbi Anglong districts of Assam. The worst affected area was the Takelanguin, where more than 600 people out of the 2,300 surveyed were affected by the hydro-flourosia, according to Chief Engineer of Public Health Department. While scientists had claimed that the northeastern region was safe from fluoride, it was detected for the first time in the middle of last year in Takelanguin area in Karbi Anglong district, where several cases of both dental and skeletal fluorosis were initially found. The fluoride content in water in the area varies from 5 to 23mg per litre, while permissible limit is 1.2mg per litre. The district council authorities have been identified tube wells with high fluoride content and launched a scheme for supply of fluoride-free water.

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