Nearly 63,000 rural people in Angul district of Odisha are forced to use highly contaminated potable water having excess fluoride content. The maximum permissible limit of fluoride for potable purposes is 1.5 milligram per litre of water.
The Odisha-chapter of Institute of Public Auditors of India (IPAI) in its recent chemical analysis report cautions that water from 529 sources contain chemical contamination and iron content in excess of permissible level.
According to the IPAI report, Angul district is the main supply source of thermal power for the whole of Odisha. These thermal power stations also are responsible, to a great extent, for the contamination of ground water sources. High fluoride content and bacteriological contamination of ground water is a major cause of concern.