A severe public health crisis is unfolding across 332 villages in Rohtas district and parts of Dev block in Aurangabad district, where excessive fluoride in drinking water has left large sections of the rural population disabled and struggling with chronic illness.
Villagers say the water is so contaminated that even lentils fail to cook properly, highlighting the gravity of the chemical pollution. Despite the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) officially classifying the water in these areas as fluoride-affected, a permanent solution remains elusive.
During a visit to Titai Bigha and Dorwa Bigha villages of Pavai Panchayat in Dev block, residents described the daily hardships caused by the lack of safe drinking water. Although two water tanks were installed to supply clean water, one of the village water towers has been non-functional due to damage, while a water treatment plant in the northern section supplies fluoride-free water to only about half of the households.
The problem extends to the urban outskirts as well. In Sasaram, located 10 kilometres from the district headquarters, water sourced from Karvandiya and Jamuhar is transported through pipelines that pass through pools of stagnant, polluted water. Frequent pipe bursts and neglected maintenance allow contaminated drain water to enter household supplies, especially in congested old neighbourhoods where pipelines run directly over open drains.
Wealthier residents are forced to rely on private borewells or packaged drinking water, though the quality of jar water remains uncertain. Poor and economically vulnerable families have no option but to consume the polluted supply.
The crisis is most severe in Barua village of Nad Panchayat in the Shivsagar block, where fluoride levels in groundwater are ten times higher than the permissible limit. Villagers claim that entire generations have been disabled by prolonged exposure to contaminated water, with even livestock showing signs of deformities and chronic illness.
Though treatment plants have been installed in several villages, residents say the facilities are either ineffective or poorly maintained.
According to PHED officials, treatment plants have been set up in 272 of the 332 fluoride-affected villages in Rohtas district. However, the administration’s efforts have failed to provide consistent access to safe drinking water, leaving thousands exposed to serious health risks.
Health experts warn that long-term consumption of high-fluoride water can cause skeletal fluorosis, joint deformities, neurological disorders, and irreversible disability, underscoring the urgent need for systematic intervention.