RAJYA SABHA
As per Water Quality
Survey conducted on April 99, there are 36988 habitations reported
to have been affected by the presence of excess fluoride in
their drinking water sources.
Ministry of Rural
Development had been sanctioning projects under Sub-Mission
Programme for providing safe drinking water free from brackishness,
fluorides, excess iron etc. till 1998. Since then, powers to
approve and implement Sub-Mission projects have been delegated
to the State Governments. Under Accelerated Rural Water Supply
Programme (ARWSP), up to 15% of the allotted funds can be utilized
to tackle water quality problem.
As reported by
the State Government of Karnataka, about 5838 habitations in
27 districts of the State have fluoride contamination in drinking
water affecting the inhabitants. The survey conducted in July
2000 in Nidasoshi village and another survey conducted in Keerunayaka
Thanda village of Gulbarga districts in 2002 have shown 7 and
18 persons affected by skeltal fluorosis respectively.
This was informed
by Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Annasaheb M.K.
Patil in a Rajya Sabha today.
