NHRC calls for reports from 27 State Governments on fluorosis affected drinking water and remedial steps (30.1.2015)
PRESS RELEASE
New Delhi, 30th January, 2015
The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretaries of 27 States calling for a detailed report on the steps taken by their respective Governments to address the problem of fluorosis in drinking water. They have been given six weeks time to respond.
The Commission's directions followed a presentation by the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation before it on the 20th January, 2015 on the problem of fluorosis in various States and short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions for mitigating the problem of contamination in drinking water.
According to the presentation made by the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, there are more than 1000 habitations affected by fluorosis in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The problem of fluorosis is also acute in some other States where more than 100 habitations are affected. These are Bihar, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Assam, Haryana, Uttaranchal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
The Ministry informed that the National Rural Drinking Water Programme had been launched to provide every rural person with adequate safe water for drinking, cooking and other domestic needs on a sustainable basis. The challenges and the new initiatives of the Central Government for providing safe drinking water were also outlined with reference to fluoride and arsenic problem in different States.
The Indian Council for Medical Research also made a presentation on the contributions of the Council in the field of fluorosis.
The Commission had taken suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging fluoride above permissible levels in drinking water in 14132 habitations in 19 States and had asked the Secretary, Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to make a presentation on the gravity of the problem and the steps taken by the Central and various State Governments to combat it.
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New Delhi, 30th January, 2015
The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretaries of 27 States calling for a detailed report on the steps taken by their respective Governments to address the problem of fluorosis in drinking water. They have been given six weeks time to respond.
The Commission's directions followed a presentation by the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation before it on the 20th January, 2015 on the problem of fluorosis in various States and short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions for mitigating the problem of contamination in drinking water.
According to the presentation made by the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, there are more than 1000 habitations affected by fluorosis in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The problem of fluorosis is also acute in some other States where more than 100 habitations are affected. These are Bihar, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Assam, Haryana, Uttaranchal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
The Ministry informed that the National Rural Drinking Water Programme had been launched to provide every rural person with adequate safe water for drinking, cooking and other domestic needs on a sustainable basis. The challenges and the new initiatives of the Central Government for providing safe drinking water were also outlined with reference to fluoride and arsenic problem in different States.
The Indian Council for Medical Research also made a presentation on the contributions of the Council in the field of fluorosis.
The Commission had taken suo motu cognizance of a media report alleging fluoride above permissible levels in drinking water in 14132 habitations in 19 States and had asked the Secretary, Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to make a presentation on the gravity of the problem and the steps taken by the Central and various State Governments to combat it.
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