Parents and guardians of students studying in the Adarsha Vidyalaya, Patharchepa, on Monday submitted a petition to Balangir District Collector Ashis Thakre to provide fluoride-free drinking water to
children in the school.
Earlier, they had requested the Elementary Education Director in this regard, but in vain.
The parents have made the demand in the wake of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) department revealing in its report that deep bore-well water being supplied to the school has a fluoride content of
3.40 mg per litre against the normal 1.5 mg.
Even, the normal standard of 1.5 mg fluoride content per litre mentioned by the RWSS is contested by people.
According to them,
it should be 1 mg.
They lamented that no signboard has been put up to inform that school water
has high fluoride content.
Now, students are taking water bottles with them to avoid taking school water.
The Collector assured the parents that he would ask PHD officials to supply drinking water through a pipeline supply system.