Tulsi reduces fluoride content in water, says study

The New Indian Express, NALGONDA, 20th April 2013

District collector N Muktheshwar Rao addresses a press meet in Nalgonda
on Friday | Express Photo

District collector N Muktheshwar Rao on Friday said that Tulasi plant is in rich in medicinal properties and can reduce fluoride content in the water. Speaking to media persons, Muktheshwar Rao said the fact was found after a research was conducted by Rajasthan University last year.

He said the district administration too did the same experiment and attained positive results.

“We did the experiment in Yellareddygudem village of Narketpally mandal. The water in this village has high fluoride content. In the experiment 75 mg of Tulasi leaves were soaked into 100 ml water with the fluoride content of 7.4 ppm (part per million). After eight hours, the tests revealed that the fluoride content in the water reduced to 1.1 ppm and this falls in to the range recommended by the World Health Organisation,” he said.

The collector said Tulasi has many medicinal properties and is extensively used in Ayurvedic medicines to cure kidney stones, stomach disorders, common cold, inflammation, malaria, heart diseases, headaches and many other ailments.

He said steps were been taken to control fluoride content in the water through various methods. “Food with high nutritional values is being distributed for pregnant women and children through anganvadi centres,” he said.

He further added that the officials are conducting awareness programmes on the importance of Tulasi and are also planning to promote cultivation of guava, papaya, curry leaves and citric fruit trees in the fluoride affects areas. Zilla parishad chief executive officer Koti Reddy, DEO Acharya Jagadhish, RWS assistant executive engineer Shyamsundhar, social welfare deputy director Venkat Narsaiah, CPO Mohan Rao, deputy CEO Mohan Rao and others participated in the press conference.