Centre to launch National Programme to prevent fluorosis

New Delhi, Nov 30 (UNI) A new Centrally Sponsored Scheme entitled 'National Programme for Prevention and Control of Fluorosis' has been prepared for the Eleventh Five Year Plan with a budget provision of Rs. 68 crore to check florosis in 19 states.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha that the Planning Commission has approved the scheme in principle and a token provision of Rs 1 crore has been made for the year 2007-08 in order to prevent and control fluorosis.

Based on the fluorine content of the drinking water in the country, fluorosis is a problem in 19 States, which are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Orissa, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Delhi, Jammu&Kashmir, Jharkhand&Chhattisgarh.

According to the WHO sponsored project carried out by Regional Occupational Health Centre (ICMR), Kolkata, six million people across nine districts of West Bengal were exposed to arsenic contaminated water.

UNI