Fluoride Contamination in Groundwater (Karnataka, India): A Community Effort in Cost-Affective Treatment and Management

In India, >6 million are people affected by fluorisis and this is a major environmental crisis. This project is based in rural Karnataka, which is affected by high levels of naturally occurring fluoride in groundwater due to arid climate and granitic bedrock. The strategic tie-up brings together natural and social scientists. The idea is to take our `lab based research? to `grass root level?. We will focus on providing the technology and knowledge to the local people so that they can: 1) implement cost-affective and simple defluoridation method(s) at household level, and 2) store rainwater on long-term basis for drinking. The project will involve extensive societal outreach and capacity building measures with local people. A village-based Community Water Center will be started to educate people and help them in operating the simple defluoridation units and facilitate rainwater harvesting. The defluoridation units will use aluminum sulfate, alum and lime spikes into groundwater. The groundwater will be gently stirred, and flocs allowed to settle down in a bucket; fluoride will be removed by filtration. Several fluoride remediation schemes are available, but large-scale deployment has failed due to high costs, complexity, and lack of local involvement. Characteristics of our project that will ensure success are: simple user friendly technology, low cost, demand for safe drinking water,and local participation.