SALEM, August 24: The Centre is expected to shortly approve two protected drinking water projects for villages in 10 panchayat units in TN's Salem district, which have been affected by high fluoride contents. Dinesh Chand, Deputy Advisor to the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission said while the approved fluoride content of drinking water was around 1.5 mg per litre, in some 400 villages in the affected area, it ranged from 2.5 mg to 6.4 mg, and had caused irrepairable damage to the people's health.

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