India - With 365 affected habitations, Karnataka is 4th worst

Chidananda S (name changed), an accounts manager in a private firm in Chitradurga, thinks twice before flashing a smile. His teeth are permanently stained brown due to excess fluoride content in the water that he and his family consume. He has dental fluorosis and is also a potential case for skeletal fluorosis. The 29-year-old is unable to get a bride. Regions contaminated by fluoride have crystalline basement rocks and sedimentary aquifers that undergo ion exchange, contaminating the groundwater table without any human intervention. 

With borewells being sunk deeper in order to strike water, fluoride eventually seeps into drinking water and affects human health. In Karnataka, geogenic (naturally occurring) fluoride contamination of groundwater has been a major challenge to the supply of safe drinking water. Data released by the central ministry of drinking water and sanitation show Karnataka has 365 fluorideaffected habitations, the most in south india and the fourth highest in the country. Rajasthan tops the list with 5,143 affected habitations, followed by West Bengal (1,263) and Bihar (781). Data with the state rural development and panchayat raj 04/03/2019 With 365 affected habitations, Karnataka is 4th worst fluoride-contaminated state - Times of India