Fluoride in Drinking Water - Government's answer in Odisha Assembly woefully off-target

Bimal Prasad Pandia

From media coverage of Odisha Assembly proceeding, we have learnt that fluoride contamination of drinking issue came up for discussion in Odisha Assembly on July 15,2014. In his reply Honourable Minister for Rural Development Sri Badri Narayan Patra has reportedly informed the House that a total of 927 villages, including 118 villages in Nuapada district, have been identified as those having high fluoride contaminated drinking water sources.

If the above media report is correct, then the august Assembly has in all probability been provided with wrong or incomplete information. Number of villages affected by Fluoride is far more than what have been stated by the Hon’ble Minister.

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation maintains a web based MIS. As per the MIS for year 2013-14, 987 drinking water sources, out of a total of 8,605 sources tested in Nuapada district, were found to be having fluoride content in excess of 1.5 mg per litre which is the danger level.  This was the test result of ‘Field Test Kits (FTK)’ based water testing. 

The laboratory test result, which is considered more accurate, also shows that numbers of villages affected in Nuapada are far more than what the Minister told the Assembly. From a thorough culling of MIS data it was found out that 739 drinking water sources in 201 villages had been identified with fluoride contamination in excess of 1.5 mg in year 2013-14. Some sources even reported contamination as high as 7.75 mg/litre. Even these figures looks incomplete as the MIS did not report any fluoride contamination in as many as 42 Gram Panchayats. For example, the MIS did not show any fluoride contaminated source in Bhaisadani, Boirgaon and Sunapur Panchayats of Boden Block; Jhagrai, Kendetara, Michhapali, Mundapalla, Nuagaon, Pendrawan, Rajana, Sialati, Soseng, Sunabeda, Tarbod, Thikapali and Tikrapada of Komna Block ; Dabri, Khasbahal, Sardhapur and Tukula Panchayats of Khariar Block; Amsena, Biromal, Bisora, Boirbhadi, Budhipali, Dharambandh, Dumerpani, Godfula, Kendubahara, Kermelli, Khuntvanveera, Kodomeri, Kotenchhuan, Kulia Bandh, Mota Nuapada, Parkod, Rajput Nuapada, Saliha and Tanwat Panchayats of of Nuapada Block;  Khairpadar, Sinapali and Timanpur Panchyats of Sinapali Block. Many Panchayats have been reported with just one or two fluoride contaminated sources.

In the above circumstances, the reply by Government to the Assembly on July 15, 2014 seems to be woefully incorrect. Regional Centre for Development Cooperation (RCDC) expresses its concern that fluoride contamination is not being taken seriously by the State Government. Wrong and incomplete information will only harm the drive to provide people safe water. Thus, the primary responsibility of regularly testing the sources has to be accorded top priority and the database has to be updated at the earliest. Implementation of mega-pipe water supply projects, too, needs to speed up with determination.