The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Need to find ways to tackle fluorosis stressed

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Thursday, Jun 11, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Need to find ways to tackle fluorosis stressed

Special Correspondent

“We do not have systems or tools to even diagnose fluorosis”

CHENNAI: The challenge in front of administrators is not only to provide safe drinking water to the people, but also to handle the morbidities arising out of contaminated water sources, Principal Secretary, Health, V.K.Subburaj said.

Speaking at a workshop on “Fluoride in drinking water and its impact on public health,” Mr.Subburaj said that over 60 million people in the country were already affected by consuming water contaminated by fluoride. Apart from the dental complications, fluoride also causes muscular deterioration, complications in the gastro-intestinal system, poor growth of the foetus, anaemia and male sterility, he said. “We do not have systems or tools to even diagnose fluorosis,” Mr. Subburaj explained, stressing the urgent need to find out how to handle the problems of people who have already been affected by fluoride poisoning. Tamil Nadu had several schemes in place already to tackle fluorosis, at least in the highly endemic areas of Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri, he added. Mr. Subburaj also released a special handbook on fluoride on the occasion.

The concluding day of the two-day workshop organised by the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board was targeted at health professionals, to provide them an orientation on the various ways in which fluorosis affects people, TWAD’s joint managing director and project director Supriya Sahu said. Involving medical practitioners would facilitate the process of treating people with fluorosis. Under the 11th Five Year Plan, the provision of safe drinking water had been inextricably linked with public health, seeking to ensure complete coverage of all habitations in the country and every household. It also posits that it should be done by involving the community in this task. The Bharat Nirman project also has a safe drinking water component. The challenge is to prioritise habitations that are endemic to fluoride and arsenic, Ms.Sahu added.

A.K.Susheela, director, Fluorosis Research and Rural Development Foundation, Delhi, said students of medicine need to be taught about fluorosis, just as they are taught about other diseases. While they affect many, the advantage is that fluorosis is also easily detectable and treatable. Removing the contaminated source itself is sufficient for the problems to go away.

A.Devaraj, project officer, Water, Environment and Sanitation, UNICEF, said rural communities must be sensitised to the importance of having safe water to drink.

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