Why in news?
A report in Down To Earth magazine in December 2025 exposed how villages in Budhikhamari panchayat of Mayurbhanj district, Odisha, are drinking water containing fluoride up to eight milligrams per litre—eight times the desirable limit. Field tests and laboratory analyses by the INREM Foundation found that many hand pumps used by schools and households are contaminated. Residents are suffering from dental and skeletal fluorosis, and some have become immobile due to bone deformities. The situation illustrates a wider public health crisis in India’s fluoride‑affected regions.
Background
Fluoride is a naturally occurring halogen present in rocks and soil. In small amounts (around 0.5–1.0 mg/l), fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and helps prevent dental caries. However, excessive intake over long periods causes dental and skeletal fluorosis. The Bureau of Indian Standards sets a desirable limit of 1 mg/l and a permissible limit of 1.5 mg/l in drinking water. Concentrations above this can lead to mottled teeth, stiff joints, brittle bones and, at very high levels, crippling skeletal deformities. In India, fluoride contamination occurs naturally in groundwater in parts of Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Findings from Mayurbhanj
- High fluoride levels: The INREM Foundation tested ten water samples from three villages (Budhikhamari, Hatasahi and Badamtalia) and found fluoride concentrations between 2.4 mg/l and 8.2 mg/l. Six samples turned dark yellow in field tests, indicating levels above 5 mg/l.
- Health impacts: Children exhibit dental fluorosis – yellow or brown stains on teeth. Adults suffer joint pain and skeletal deformities; some, like 45‑year‑old Harihar Nayak, can no longer walk. Poor nutrition exacerbates the effects.
- Lack of safe water: Many villagers rely on contaminated hand pumps because piped water supply is scarce and unreliable. Defluoridation units installed at schools function poorly or are bypassed because the filtered water flows too slowly.
- Data gaps: Official statistics understate the problem. Government replies in 2024 listed only two fluoride‑affected villages in Mayurbhanj, yet local evidence suggests many more are affected. Without accurate mapping of water sources, households cannot distinguish safe from unsafe wells and hand pumps.
Health effects of excess fluoride
- Dental fluorosis: Visible as white spots or brown stains on teeth. Severe cases cause pitting and weakening of enamel.
- Skeletal fluorosis: Fluoride accumulates in bones, causing stiffness, joint pain and curvature of the spine. In advanced stages bones become brittle and muscle tissues calcify, leading to permanent disability.
- Other impacts: Studies associate high fluoride intake with reduced intelligence in children and other systemic effects. Nutritional deficiencies (calcium and vitamin C) worsen symptoms.
Way forward
Addressing fluoride contamination requires a multi‑pronged approach. Governments should map all water sources, install and maintain defluoridation units, and expand reliable piped water schemes. Participatory mapping with local communities helps residents identify safe wells and avoid contaminated pumps. Nutritional interventions, such as providing calcium‑ and vitamin C‑rich foods (moringa leaves, amla, sesame) can mitigate the effects on those already affected. Public awareness campaigns are essential so that villagers recognise symptoms and seek medical help. Ultimately, long‑term investment in water infrastructure and surveillance is needed to prevent fluorosis outbreaks in vulnerable regions.
Source: Down To Earth investigation
