It’s ‘Sakhi Neer’ for Gujarat politicians, babus, while fluoride-contaminated water ails dists

The Gujarat government on Wednesday launched the ‘Sakhi Neer’ project, under which the state secretariat will use glass bottles instead of plastic bottles for water.

This, however, has raised eyebrows. With the project aimed at facilitating an eco-friendly environment for politicians and bureaucrats, concerns have been raised about fluoride-contaminated water in 25 districts of Gujarat.

On one hand, the Gujarat government talks about development in all sectors, while on the other, some districts in Gujarat have been receiving fluoride-contaminated water, which can cause bone and skin problems.

According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, more than 1.5 mg of fluoride has been found in water in 25 districts, which is concerning.

Districts including Ahmedabad, Anand, Aravalli, Bhavnagar, Morbi, Botad, Chhota Udepur, Mehsana, Porbandar, Patan, Panchmahal, Rajkot, Sabarkantha, and Surat reportedly have water that is no longer safe to drink.

While these districts continue to consume fluoride-contaminated water, the Gujarat Secretariat have initiated drinking water from glass bottles under the ‘Sakhi Neer’ project.