INDIA: NGT pulls up collectors of 12 districts

[pfpcnews]

NGT pulls up collectors of 12 districts

The Times of India Dec 11, 2013

Ananya Dutta

PUNE: The western bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered that notices be issued to the collectors of 12 districts to seek their response to a petition that alleges that they have failed to provide clean drinking water to the people.

The bench of Justice V R Kingaonkar and expert member Ajay Deshpande passed the order on a petition filed by a group of lawyers from Sahyog Trust. The petition had been filed to highlight the plight of the people living in 12 districts, who are exposed to high concentration of fluoride in their drinking water. Notices will also be issued to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and the state health department.

"We had filed the petition on the basis of media reports about the chronic problems faced by villagers in these districts due to high concentrations of fluoride in their drinking water. The tribunal has asked us to amend the petition to include issues pertaining to unbridled and unchecked exploitation of groundwater, particularly for commercial use," said Asim Sarode, an advocate, who is one of the petitioners.

Sarode said the petition will be amended and then the notices will be sent out to the respondents.

He said that in 2012 a survey conducted in 9,798 villages in the state revealed that 1,758 villages were fluoride-affected. Of these, 1,011 were in Vidarbha alone.

In August 2013 about 3,710 patients of dental fluorosis and 389 patients of skeletal fluorosis were reported from Nanded district alone. Beed was put on fluorosis alert when the state's health department tested 3,862 water samples from the district and found 2,402 unsuitable for drinking due to high concentration of fluoride nitrate and iron, Sarode added.

The bench has ordered that the district collectors, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the health department submit their responses on or before January 15 listing the measures taken for mitigating exploitation of groundwater for commercial use, particularly in summer. They have also been asked to provide data regarding the quality and level of groundwater at important places in the district.

The 12 districts are Nanded, Chandrapur, Beed, Yavatmal, Latur, Washim, Parbhani, Hingoli, Jalna, Jalgaon, Nagpur and Bhandara.

Fluorosis affects teeth, bones

People who rely on groundwater are at a greater risk of fluorosis. Flouride is naturally present in water. In small quantities, it is beneficial but when concentration exceeds a certain limit, it can be detrimental to teeth and bones, causing conditions such as dental and skeletal fluorosis. Dental fluorosis involves discoloration and weakening of teeth, while the skeletal condition may lead to arthritis and osteoporosis.

SOURCE:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 203769.cms