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Bala Vikasa – Sopar having 25 years of experience in supporting dinking water projects for the rural poor communities is now concentrating on providing quality water supply to protect the health of the people. 70% of the diseases are caused due to consumption of contaminated water. Unfortunately, most of the rural poor communities are suffering with bad health due to lack of safe water.
High levels of Fluoride in ground water is one of the most common and increasing problem in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The world's highest fluoride concentration is in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh ranging from 15 PPM to 27 PPM. More than 90% of drinking water is drawn from the ground water in the drought affected districts. This indicates the intensity of the fluoride and vulnarability in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Millions of rural poor are suffering with fluorosis caused due to consumption of water with excess fluoride. The most common symptoms of flourosis affected is dental fluorosis which change the color and decay the tooth and skeletal fluorosis which generates pains and deforms the bones, joints etc. Contaminated water is a source of spreading many contagious diseases.
The governments have failed since long in providing safe water and protecting the affected communities. Due to increased awareness, the common people have realized the danger of fluorosis and purchasing the purified water sold by the micro water purification companies. At present, one of the booming business in urban and rural Andhra Pradesh is purified water supply. The number of water purification companies mushrooming even in the remote areas is the indication of increased need and awareness among the people. The water is sold between Rs. 10 and Rs. 15 per 20 liters tin. The rate varies depending on the demand and supply.
Only the well do to families could purchase the water from the commercial companies. But the poor who live on daily wages earning Rs. 50 a day are still suffering as they can not afford to pay for the water. Therefore, there is a great need to implement a project by which the rural poor communities could get the water with a minimum cost of Rs. 1 or Rs. 2 for 20 liters can.
