STUDY TO CHECK ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE IN GANGA

Aug. 30, 2019

The Union Government has commissioned a study to assess the microbial diversity along the entire length of the Ganga and test if stretches of the river contain microbes that may promote “antibiotic resistance”.

About:

Duration: The project is expected to last two years.
It is will be undertaken by: Motilal Nehru Institute of Technology, Allahabad; National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur; Sardar Patel Institute of Science & Technology, Gorakhpur, as well as start-up companies, Phixgen and Xcelris Labs.
Parent programme: The research project will be undertaken by the National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Jal Shakti Ministry.
Aims of the study:
- To assess the microbial diversity along the entire length of the Ganga.
- To indicate the type of “contamination” (sewage and industrial) in the river and “threat to human health (antibiotic resistance surge)”.
- To identify sources of Eschericia coli, a type of bacteria that lives in the gut of animals and humans. While largely harmless, some species have been linked to aggravating antibiotic resistance.