NAGPUR: The Maharashtra Government, on Tuesday, candidly admitted that several villages in Yavatmal district are having high fluoride content in the groundwater, and as a result many patients are suffering from fluorosis in those areas.

Health minister Dr Deepak Sawant informed that in villages like Arni Babhulgaon, Darwha, Digras, Ghatanji Kalamb, Mahagaon, Moregaon, Ner Pandharkawda, Pusad, Ralegaon, Umarkhed, Wani, and Zari Zamni besides Yavatmal, about 377 persons were found to be suffering from fluorosis of teeth and 83 with bones.

He was replying to a query by MLA Madan Yerawar during question hour in the assembly

Deliberating on steps taken to reduce the effects of fluoride, the minister informed that the government had started awareness programme in 454 villages asking the locals to resist from drinking contaminated water.

“Till February this year, alternate sources of drinking water were made available for 423 villages while remaining 31 were brought under National Drinking Water Programme while works began in 22 of them,” Dr Sawant informed.

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