Groundwater is one of the most valuable natural resources. Without improved management and closer protection, groundwater resource will suffer irreversible deterioration on a widespread basis. The demand for water has increased over the years, resulting in water scarcity. The situation is further aggravated by the problem of water pollution. The total groundwater resources of Rajasthan appear to be inadequate, compared to the rapidly increasing demands for domestic and industrial uses. The depth of water varies widely throughout the State. The problem of fluorosis is one of most severe problems affecting the State. In the present study, the quality of groundwater in Jaipur district has been examined in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons with special reference to fluoride contamination. The distribution of fluoride in the district revealed that the higher fluoride zone may be attributed to distribution of fluoride bearing minerals in the soil, their solubilization charateristics, nature of the product with soil and other environmental conditions. The characteristics most influencing the concentration of fluoride were observed to be pH and alkalinity. In the post-monsoon season, a general dilution effect of almost all water quality constituents further suggest that shallow aquifer wells in weathered rocks with good circulation of rainwater in the aquifer yield fluoride-free groundwater. Further, it was observed that the deeper wells are more prone to fluoride contamination than the shallow ones. It is attributed to the fact that due to recharge, fluoride level is reduced. Therefore, it is the contact time and flow path which governs the concentration of fluoride. Various defluoridation techniques and their limitations have also been discussed.

Increasing evidence of groundwater contamination in recent years, coupled with uncertainties regarding long-term human health effects, has heightened the pressure on public agencies to better manage the groundwater resources. Because restoration of groundwater quality is such a formidable and cost-effective task, great emphasis is being placed upon protection of these resources, i.e., prevention of contamination. The problem of high fluoride concentration in groundwater resources has now become one of the most important toxicological and geoenvironmental issues in India. During the last three decades, the high fluoride concentration in water resources and the resultant disease `fluorosis' are being highlighted considerably throughout the world and India is also confronting the same problem.

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