The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has decidednot to go ahead with Jal Shakti Ministry’s proposal to undertake clinicalstudies for treatment of COVID-19 patients with Ganga water, saying it needsmore scientific data.
Dr Y K Gupta, who is chairing the committee for Evaluationof Research Proposals at ICMR, said the evidence and data available at themoment is not strong enough to start the clinical studies by differentroutes/forms of Ganga water for treatment of coronavirus.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), an arm of theJal Shakti Ministry that deal with the rejuvenation programme for the river,had received a number of proposals, including from people and NGOs working onGanga, to undertake clinical studies for treatment of coronavirus patients withthe water, officials said.
The proposals were accordingly sent to the ICMR.
Gupta, who is also a former dean of the AIIMS, said,”At present the proposals needs much scientific data, proof of concept anda strong background hypothesis. This has been conveyed to them (NMCG).”
NMCG officials said the proposals were discussed with thescientists of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute(NEERI), which had earlier conducted a study ‘Assessment of Water Quality andSediment to understand the special properties of River Ganga’.
According to the NEERI study, Ganga water has higher numberof bacteriophages as against pathogenic bacteria. During consultations thatwere held between the NMCG and NEERI, the scientists had also said there isstill no proof that Ganga water or sediment has anti-viral properties.
“We forwarded the proposals to the ICMR asreceived,” said a senior official of the NMCG.
One of the proposals received by NMCG claimed that thewaters of Ganga have “ninja virus” which scientists callbacteriophages.
Another proposal claimed that pure Ganga water boostsimmunity which helps fight the virus.
The third proposal, a much detailed one, sought moreresearch on Ganga water’s anti-viral properties and its ability to boostimmunity in fighting diseases.
NMCG officials said they have not received any officialcommunication on the status of their proposals from the ICMR.