Partnership for sustainable solutions

Presence of excess Fluoride in water causes dental and skeletal fluorosis in addition to several ailments such as body aches and head ache, gastrointestinal problems, and also neurological, muscular and urinary tract manifestations. The problem has been a concern in many developing countries including India where excess of fluoride in water affects approximately 25 million people living in 8700 villages (NEERI, 1992). Gujarat is one of the Indian states where excess fluoride has been a cause of concern. Most of the water supply systems are conceived and implemented as engineering projects with very little scope for the involvement of people in the planning, implementation and management of the project. In the project district of Mehsana where 300 villages are affected, an attempt has been made in one village to illustrate the demand driven approach by fostering partnership amongst the communities, corporate and implementing agency.