Jajpur: Fluorosis, thanks to contaminated groundwater, is a major issue in the villages within Binjharapur block of Jajpur district  . Due to fluorsis in the ground water many villagers are suffering from discolouration of teeth.

Dental fluorosis is not treatable and the stains are permanent. According to World Health Organisation guidelines, the fluoride concentration in drinking water should not exceed 1.5 mg/l. But in the villages of Chandanpur, Olei ,Binjharapur, Haripur and other villages , the fluoride concentration is 5 milligrams in a liter, said the execttive enginner of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) , AmiyaKumar Parija.

Fluorosis is a severe public health problem in Binjharapur areas . Around 3000 people, including children, are presently affected byfluorosis and many are at risk of developing the disease.

In many villages , it is common to meet people with dental stains. People in the age group ranging from two to 70 years have the stains. Large number of villagers are still drinking water contaminated with fluoride from the tube-wells, said a villagers Sarat Jena of Chandanpur.

The contaminated supply dates back to the 1990s, when the government drilled many shallow tube wells to provide villagers with clean water, not realizing that the soil was heavily laced with naturally occurring fluoride , added Jena.

When contacted Ranjan Kumar Das the district collector of Jajpur said “ We will soon supply drinking water to these villages by purifying the river water”.

*Original article online at https://orissadiary.com/odisha-villagers-suffering-due-water-fluorosis/

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