HYDERABAD: In their continuing efforts for defluoridation of groundwater in fluorosis affected areas in the State, the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) installed a 1,000 L/H capacity membrane plant at Allapur village in the highly affected Nalgonda district. The project is sponsored by Department of Science and Technology (DST), Delhi. The plant was set up with the help of an NGO, Sri Yarlagadda Ranganayakulu Foundation (SYRF), and the local people. The plant was inaugurated recently by Director of DST Laxman Prasad.
Director of IICT JS Yadav and project leader and scientist of IICT S Sridhar were also present. The fluoride concentration is brought down from approximately 2.5 ppm in the raw water to less than 0.5 ppm in the final product at a rate of 30 liters per sq meter of membrane area per hour with a water recovery of 50 per cent, according to a release by IICT deputy director Pradeep Kumar.
The officials also visited the interior Rachakonda village where another DST sponsored plant of similar capacity is under erection.