Fluoride contamination of groundwater in India - country update

About 63 million people in rural India suffer from dental, skeletal and or non-skeletal fluorosis due to consumption of groundwater with high fluoride content. The problem of fluorosis is more severe than the arsenic poisoning reported from the West Bengal Delta plains. The source of fluorine, unlike arsenic, is geogenic. Arid climate, low rainfall coupled with high evapotranspiration, low recharge and high residence time of groundwater are some of the factors enhancing the fluoride concentration in groundwater. Though several defluoridation techniques are available, cost factor is a deterrent in implementing such technologies in rural areas. It is time that cost effective defluoridation methods are evolved using locally available natural products. Preliminary attempts indicate that such methods are possible to develop and implement in rural areas in India.