Andhra Pradesh   

AP science council in row with Rajasthan counterpart

N. Rahul

Over supply of technology for fluorosis-hit villages

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Science and Technology (APCOST) is at loggerheads with its Rajasthan counterpart following the reluctance of the latter to supply low cost rural technology to purify water in fluorosis-affected villages of Nalgonda.

Matters came to such a pass that the Department of Science and Technology (DST) had to intervene and serve a notice on the Rajasthan State Council of Science and Technology to return the funds released for the purpose.

Yet, the Rajasthan organisation was unmoved.

APCOST Member-Secretary K. Vijayakumari, said that her Rajasthan counterpart gave no reason for not supplying the technology — hand-pump attached deflouridation units — ever since the DST released the funds in February.

There was no response from the other end though several letters went from her and the DST.

Dr. Vijayakumari told The Hindu that the APCOST surveyed villages in Nalgonda with high fluorine content and requested the DST to share the technology for chemical treatment of fluoride water, which it had developed with the Rajasthan organisation.

Though the APCOST demanded 30 units for as many villages with 5 PPM (parts per million) fluoride and above, the DST sanctioned only 10 units in the first phase.

APCOST is going ahead with a separate programme to treat water at Rajampet in Kadapa district where the fluorine content was found to be as high as 14 PPM.

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