Telangana: Fluorosis-hit Choutuppal residents subject to severe joint pains

HYDERABAD: With Mission Bhagiratha remaining a distant dream for Choutuppal municipality, the residents are forced to buy water cans for drinking purposes. As the ground water remains polluted because of local factories amid fears of fluorosis, it’s a common sight at the local government hospitals to see patients with complaints of joint pains and allergies.

The locals lament that they are receiving municipal water once every four or five days and use them as non-potable. They are forced to spend Rs 10 for a water can.

“There is no Mission Bhagiratha here. Everyone buys water cans. We suffer from joint pains ostensibly caused by nearby companies and factories that are polluting groundwater. Even the smell that emanates is unbearable,” said K. Swathi, a resident of Cherukubai locality.

Another resident, K. Pujitha felt that the factories to make up for the criminal acts by offering small incentives to locals with supply of stationary kits and malted beverage drinks. “This issue of groundwater pollution has been long prevalent. Our protests are silenced by them one way or the other,” she rued.

K. Somaiah from Lakkaram regularly takes his parents to the local government hospital. They are completely dependent on pills.

“My parents are frequent visitors to the hospital as they are unable to bear the joint pains,” he said.

Meanwhile, doctors in a local government hospital said that they remain busy attending to 150 such cases every day. “This area is known dubiously for fluorosis. Around 60 to 70 factories that exist in Choutuppal and surrounding areas are blamed. There is a need for a scientific study to find out the causes of groundwater pollution. Age could be a possible factor and so also fluorosis for arthritis and joint pains. Unlike diabetes and hypertension, the ailments due to water pollution cannot be measured,” explained a doctor working for a local government hospital, seeking anonymity.