Nalgonda: On the occasion of World Water Day, 5K Run for Fluoride Mitigation was conducted by District Fluoride Monitoring Centre in Nalgonda, highlighting the need to address the fluoride menace.
More than 1,000 students from 20 colleges participated in the Run, which took place from Marriguda bypass road to NG College in Nalgonda. District Collector Gaurav Uppal formally flagged off the run at 6.30 am. Wearing the t-shirts and caps and raising slogans on water conservation, the participants highlighted the message of World Water Day, which is being observed this year under the theme ‘Why Waste Water?’.
Later, a meeting was organised in NG College, which was the ending point of the run. Speaking at the meeting, Collector Gaurav Uppal reminded that Nalgonda is marked in the world fluoride map due to high content of fluoride in the ground waters in majority of the mandals in the district. Stating that out of 31 mandals in the district, fluoride issue was high in 19 mandals, he added that supplying Krishna river’s water to these mandals will solve the problem.
He also informed that safe drinking water would be supplied to every house in fluoride-affected areas through Mission Bhagiratha. In the second front, restoration of village tanks by Mission Kakatiya would improve the ground water level that would lead to the reduction of fluoride percentage in water. In addition to this, awareness programmes would be taken up in the district to educate the people on how to get rid of fluorosis. If people took nutritious food, they will not to be affected by fluorosis disease, he pointed out.
UNICEF (Water and Sanitation) Officer A Venkateshwarlu stated that garbage, open defecation and chemical wastes were some of the main reasons for water contamination in the country. Consumption of fluoride water would result in dental and bones related problems which will make them crippled, he pointed out.
Essay-writing competitions were conducted on the occasion of World Water Day and certificates will be distributed later.
Joint Collector C Narayana Reddy, Nalgonda Municipality In-Charge Commissioner SP Raj Kummar, District Treasury Officer Vinod Kumar, Nalgonda RDO Venkata Chary, Red Cross district president Goli Amarender Reddy and others also attended the programme.
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