HYDERABAD: Finding fault with the BJP-led Union government for “falsely” declaring Nalgonda district as a ‘zero’ fluoride region, Jala Saadhana Samithi, and Fluorosis Vimukthi Porata Samithi slammed the Centre for shifting the proposed Regional Fluoride Mitigation and Research Centre (RFMRC) from the district to other States, and not allocating any funds for either fluoride mitigation or medical treatment for the victims.
As the Munugode region is badly affected by the fluoride problem with hundreds of people suffering from deformities, they appealed to the electors to vote for the party which provided them safe drinking water.
Interestingly, their appeal comes after TRS working president, as part of his election campaign, K T Rama Rao recently paid a visit to the house of Amshala Swamy, who suffers from 100 per cent disability due to a high fluoride content in ground water in the region.
The group of activists and fluoride victims held a press conference to declare their opposition to the Congress and BJP, while extending support for the TRS government, which, they said provided drinking water through Mission Bhagiratha scheme to their region.
Ashamla Swamy sought to know what Congress and BJP did to their region. He said that the TRS supremo had promised to do justice to their region and kept it. Panuganthi Thirupatamma, another victim with 100 per cent deformity, said wryly that their identity was “fluorosis” due to the gross negligent attitude of the erstwhile rulers and political parties. “Some political leaders offered money to console us, while we are demanding water,” she said.
Jala Saadhana Samithi president Dusharla Satyanarayana said that the Central government had misled Parliament by declaring that Nalgonda district was a “zero fluoride” area. “Fluoride will not be zero in any waters. There will be some decimal points. However, the Centre declared it zero,” said Satyanarayana. He added that the groundwater continued to have the same amount of high fluoride levels ranging between 70 to 200 ppm.
“Even the mother’s breastfeeding, meat, and eggs have fluoride content in this region, and beyond 1.5 ppm in the bodies of locals. The then Union Minister for Health, who is the current BJP president, JP Nadda misled the parliament,” Satyanarayana alleged.