By Ali Nawaz Rahimoo
Tharparkar is spread over 22,000 square kilometres with a
population of about 1.6 million living in 2,300 villages and urban settlements.
The region relies heavily on underground water sources as it has no rivers. Hardly
five per cent of the population has access to a fresh water supply. Even the
district headquarter Mithi gets fresh water only twice a month. Most people
rely on far-flung wells for supply. On an average, a villager spends around six
hours daily to fetch four to five pots (50 to 60 litres) from wells. During the
dry season, almost their entire day and nights are spent in collecting water. The
entire burden is upon women as it is they who fetch water. In various areas of
Thar, the continuous use of groundwater has caused fluorosis among people. This
is a malady caused by the high intake of fluoride, and becoming endemic in
Tharparkar.Fluoride causes dental and skeletal fluorosis, osteosclerosis,
thyroid and kidney problems when its concentration exceeds 1.5 mg/l in drinking
water, and the intake of excessive fluoride leads to chronic bone and joint
deformations.Severe drought conditions, the decreasing water level and the
increase in salt concentration are endangering the Thari people’s lives. In the
absence of public water supply, people are forced to use groundwater, which is
high in fluoride. Healthcare is a major issue in Thar and requires the
government to initiate immediate remedial measures including better development
of groundwater and the installation of defluoridation and desalination plants.The
quality, quantity and access to water should be addressed with an integrated
approach instead of installing hi-fi technology based systems having high
recurring costs. Experience has proved that without technology transfer,
appropriate technology and a user-friendly approach, no project can yield
sustained results.
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