New Dental Fluorosis Cases Emerge in Nalgonda

Nalgonda: Against the claim of the previous BRS government that it had eradicated fluorosis, caused by excess fluoride in drinking water, dozens of new cases have been found in a survey in Marriguda mandal in Nalgonda district.

Marriguda mandal, long recognised as a fluoride hotspot, has identified new instances of dental fluorosis among children based on the yellow teeth, signalling persistent presence of fluoride in drinking water. Without intervention, these dental cases may progress to skeletal fluorosis, potentially crippling the victims.

Following instructions from district collector Ila Tripathi, the health department launched a survey in Marriguda mandal. Medical teams have examined 6,932 people, identifying 53 dental fluorosis cases in Shivannagudem, 26 in Kondur, six in Marriguda, 18 in Indurthi, and 25 in Narsimhulaguden.

Deputy district medical and health officer Dr Kalyana Chakravarthi noted that new cases emerged within three days of the survey’s start, prompting comprehensive family checkups in the mandal.

Additionally, yellow marks on the teeth of some children in Anganwadi centres were observed, indicating dental fluorosis. A detailed report will be submitted to the district collector soon.

Kanchukatla Subash, convener of the Fluorosis Vimukthi Porata Samithi, attributed the rise in fluorosis cases to the use of water from RO plants during shortages in Mission Bhagiratha’s supply. He criticised RO plant operators for using groundwater for their businesses without testing for fluoride content, potentially leading to the new cases reported in the area.

Over 1 lakh people in villages in Munugode, Nampally, Marriguda, and Devarakonda mandals suffer from fluorosis due to high fluoride levels in groundwater. The condition was first detected in Bhatlapally, Marriguda mandal, in 1945. Since then, excessive fluoride has been found in the groundwater of 967 habitations within the undivided Nalgonda district area, affecting three generations and severely diminishing the quality of life with symptoms such as wrinkled legs and hands.

In 2020, the BRS government announced that there were no new fluorosis cases in Telangana. The Union health department stated in Parliament that there are no arsenic-affected villages in the state, crediting Mission Bhagiratha — a flagship programme of the BRS government launched in 2015 aimed at providing piped, safe drinking water to every household.

However, recent surveys in Munugode revealed a contrasting reality on the ground. Water from Mission Bhagiratha has been irregular leading to the use of water from ground using reverse osmosis (RO).

During the Munugode bypolls, political parties had spotlighted the fluoride issue, challenging previous claims that the decades-old problem had been resolved. The detection of new fluorosis cases has come as a shock, especially since consumption of rice and vegetables irrigated with fluoride-contaminated groundwater can worsen the disease.