'40% rural folk have no clean drinking water'

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'40% rural folk have no clean drinking water'

Express News Service - March 22, 2011

HYDERABAD: Pointing out that at least 40 per cent people in rural areas do not have access to pure drinking water, speakers at a seminar felt the need for the state government to take measures in providing proper drinking water and sanitation facilities during summer. The seminar was organized by the Centre for Rural Studies and Development (CRSD) on the occasion of World Water Day to discuss safe drinking water and sanitation issues in the state.

Highlighting the water situation, David Sudhakar, a representative of CRSD said safe drinking water in rural localities is becoming a distant object, especially during summer. A number of schools do not have access to drinking water. "Availability of clean water, adequate sanitation and education about hygiene has a profound impact on health of children. The capacity to learn, teaching environment and girls education suffers due to these conditions. It is directly related not only to physical, mental and social health but also to economic and political development," he added. Explaining about CRSD activities, he said an effective community-based network on water related issues, a detailed study on situation of drinking water and sanitation in 162 hamlets in Ananthapur district will be taken up.

Talking about fluorosis, Subhash, convener, Fluorosis Vimukthi Porata Samithi said that fluorosis is an important public health problem. A cross-sectional study undertaken to assess prevalence of dental and skeletal fluorosis in Panagal, a urban slum area of Nalgonda town shows Nalgonda as a fluorosis-endemic district.

"At least 250 individuals residing in 100 households of five colonies were selected by multistage random sampling. Fluorosis was assessed by standard clinical methods and water samples tested for fluoride level. It was observed that mean fluoride level in ground water samples was 4.01 mg per litre and of Nagarjunasagar water was 0.74 mg per litre. The mean age of subjects was 34.73 years. Overall prevalence of skeletal fluorosis was found to be 24.9 per cent and that of dental fluorosis at 30.6 per cent. Skeletal and dental fluorosis is endemic in the area,'' he said.

SOURCE:
http://expressbuzz.com/cities/hyderabad ... 58648.html