-

Water-borne Diseases
By Dr Arvind Kumar
Water-borne diseases have claimed heavy toll of human lives. Several hundred deaths have been reported in the last three years in the country, due to diseases caused by consumption of unsafe and contaminated water. Contaminated water can cause Acute Diarrhoeal Diseases (ADD), Viral Hepatitis, Cholera and Typhoid (Enteric Fever). According to the information made available recently by the  Union Ministry of Health and Family Affairs,  of the 21,12,308 cases detected in Karnataka alone, 257 people had died due to these diseases in that state during 2009, 2010 and 2011. Of this, three people died due to cholera out of the 610 cases detected during the three years. Andhra Pradesh saw four deaths out of 715 cases, while two died in Tamil Nadu out of 1,308 cases. Kerala saw three deaths, out of the 81 cases detected. Similarly, ADD took 192 lives in Karnataka with 19,62,271 cases detected, while Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala saw 424, 97 and six people die, respectively, due to the disease. Viral Hepatitis was responsible for 43 deaths in Karnataka. Enteric fever led to the death of 19 in the State. 
Every litre of drinking water in Evura, near Yadgir district of Karnataka, contains 4.2 mg of fluorides. The nitrate content is 145 ppm per litre, according to a 2011 report of the Department of Mines and Geology. What has compounded the problems for the people is that they are too poor to be able to avail treatment for their illnesses. Experts believe that intake of drinking water containing high fluoride and arsenic contents may lead to a number of other health problems such as dental fluorosis and arsenicosis and that only provision of safe drinking water can control spread of waterborne diseases.

 #Karnataka #Waterborne #Kerala #Geology #SafeDrinkingWater #ViralHepatitis #Health

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Avoid Plastic and Save Environment

-
Image
Avoid Plastic and Save Environment Plastic is like a common commodity which is essential in our daily lives. Bakelite, nylon and rubber are some examples of synthetic plastics. Almost everything is made of plastic! They are very convenient to use because of their malleability and plasticity. They can be easily moulded by heating. Plastic product may be non-toxic, but some small amounts of the chemicals remain trapped in the product. As a result, when these plastics come in contact with food stuffs, the chemicals mix with the food which we subsequently consume. Plastics are non-biodegradable solids. When we burnt, they release some toxic fumes which cause ozone depletion and pollution; many chemicals are released into the air as well as into water. All these bear hazardous environmental consequences. Plastics are made of crude oil and can be used as fuel. One litter of hydrocarbon is produced from one kilogram of plastic waste. Over 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year w...
Read more

Sustaining Renewable Energy

-
Image
Sustaining Renewable Energy By Dr Arvind Kumar T he success, thus far, of fossil fuels in meeting energy demand any time required has led to a belief that whatever we want we can always have whenever we want it. This of course is leading to problems as it patently can no longer be maintained. It also has lead to the development of quite unrealistic expectations as to how far renewables can replace fossil fuels. Renewable energy is being tagged on to a massive existing demand led fossil fuelled energy system that has historically recorded tremendous growth. Efforts at demand reduction and increased efficiency have seemingly resulted in slight savings and these are often deferred by people opting for higher comfort levels. Viewed in a broad spectrum, almost all the renewable technology presently installed has only made us 96% fossil fuel dependent rather than 100%! This is a cause of worry as to the very extreme degree of energy descent that may be experienced as we move further in...
Read more

‘Vanguards of Change’: Simple yet Extraordinary thinking

-
Image
By Dr. Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation Congratulations on winning the #Padmaawards for the year 2020. We, at India Water Foundation is elated to hear individual’s diverse and momentous endeavors. The award is a reflection of the endless dedication and sincere efforts towards their work which they truly deserve. Their innovative and out-of-box solutions make them distinguished as true Champions of Change. On the eve of 71st Republic Day 2020, Padma awards were given to citizens of India in recognition of their contribution to the society in spheres such as education, literature, science, medicine, social service, etc. Eminent personalities like George Fernandes, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Kannada spiritual icon Sri Vishveshateertha Swami of Pejavar Matt were chosen for the second-highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan posthumously. We have individuals like Harekala Hajabba, who understood the importance of education in today's time and put in eff...
Read more