Staff Reporter
Awareness programme focussing on hazardous effect of fluoride
Krishnagiri: A two-member team from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) held detailed discussions with officials of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts on Saturday to carry out the final evaluation of the Hogenakkal Water Supply and Sanitation Project.
The team led by Eri Nakamura, Country officer, JBIC, and Yamamoto Yoichi, Deputy Director, Sector Strategy Development Department, stressed on a comprehensive approach and fluorosis mitigation programme. With the local population heavily affected with fluoride, officials from the Department of Health would be involved to create effective public awareness programmes focusing on the hazardous effect of fluoride and fluorosis mitigation.
Awareness would be created among the community on consumption of fluoride-affected water. The project also envisages the implementation of a three-pronged strategy to control and prevent fluorosis.
The team members also discussed on the projected allocation of Rs.32.15 crore for implementation of the health component, school education component and community component to tackle the problem of fluorosis in both the districts.
In addition the existing groundwater sources would be tested for fluoride using precision method and water testing kits they added. The team also discussed on the institutional and maintenance mechanism of the project, modalities of implementation and coordination mechanism among various line departments. It is reliably learnt that the long-pending Hogenakkal Water Supply and Sanitation Project would be short listed for implementation by 2008. The project on implementation would benefit three municipalities, 17 town panchayats and 6,755 habitations in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs.1,005 crore. The annual maintenance cost alone worked out to be Rs.51.65 crores.
The target population to be benefited has been projected as 3.39 million for the intermediate stage and 4.08 million for the final stage pointed out sources. Dr. A.K. Susheela Health Expert, Collectors Krishnagiri district Santhosh Babu Dharmapuri district Pankaj Kumar Bansal and district level officials were present.