title: Current public health perspective of fluorosis mitigation project in Pavagada taluk, Karnataka.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fluoride has become a recurring theme in discussing water issues in India. In Karnataka, where groundwater sources are concentrated with fluorides the impact is devastating. Dental and spine-related ailments are showing up in many cities and villages. Several villages in Pavagada taluk in Tumkur district have fluoride concentration 5 times more than the permissible level. The different aspects to the problem are many defluoridation interventions were failure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine and compare fluoride level in water samples from Fluorosis mitigation project area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples of municipal water were collected in sterile containers in an unannounced visit. All the samples of water were assigned a code so that those undertaking analysis would be blind to the source. Fluoride levels were determined by an ion-selective electrode (Orion 94-09) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean fluoride level in the water samples collected in the project was 0.8 which was within the normal range.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even though the fluoride level was within the normal limits after implementation of flourosis mitigation project, ground reality was numbers of beneficiaries were less. Hence, proper planning and monitoring always becomes essential for any project to be successful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Sree Siddhartha Dental College, Tumkur, India.
authors.forename: Halappa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mythri
authors.lastname: Dinesh
authors.forename: Darshana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bennadi
keywords: Defluoridation; fluorosis; mitigation project