There is no control over the indiscriminate drilling of borewells in Gujarat, as a result, groundwater is being pumped out indiscriminately. Groundwater is being used up in large quantities, especially in districts including North Gujarat, but no one is watching. The government is spending crores of rupees on groundwater, but the water table has not risen. On the other hand, the table is going deeper, so groundwater is no longer drinkable. The Central Water Resources Department itself has revealed that the fluoride levels in groundwater have increased in 25 districts of Gujarat, which is dangerous for human health. Groundwater is being used up in Gujarat, as a result, there is no water even after 100 feet in North Gujarat. In this situation, experts say that if control is not imposed on the use of groundwater, the days are not far when groundwater will disappear from the ground. In response to a question asked in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Jal Shakti presented a report that in Gujarat, the Central Ground Water Board had taken a total of 632 water samples from different areas to test groundwater. Out of which 88 samples were found to contain fluoride. In total, there are 25 districts in Gujarat where the fluoride content in groundwater is more than 1.5 mg. High levels of fluoride have been found in Ahmedabad, Amreli, Anand, Aravalli, Banaskantha, Bhavnagar, Botad, Chhota Udepur, Dahod, Devbhumi Dwarka, Gir Somnath, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kutch, Mehsana, Morbi, Narmada, Porbandar, Patan, Panchmahal, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, Surat, Surendranagar and Vadodara areas. The fluoride limit has been found to be more than acceptable, which can prove to be dangerous for human health. For example, if fluoridated water is consumed, a person can become a victim of various diseases.
Due to fluoride, diseases of joints, bones, teeth, skin and stomach have increased:
Due to the consumption of fluoride-containing groundwater, diseases like joint pain, weakening of bones, tooth decay, skin and stomach diseases, poor digestion, hair loss have increased in rural areas. Apart from this, this polluted groundwater can prove harmful for pregnant women. Thus, the quality of groundwater in Gujarat has deteriorated. Experts have expressed concern that if the current situation continues, groundwater will be depleted in the state and water problems will arise.
