Telangana government’s decision to set up 31 Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) for dealing with wastewater generated by the twin cities had piqued interest among many a scientist as it will serve as a perfect stage to incorporate wastewater surveillance into the One Health research and pandemic preparedness.
“Wastewater or sewage sample is the ‘reporter’ for the entire population of the city, giving a snapshot of the pathogens present, drugs and chemicals being used. The current estimate of pathogen load is a gross underestimate as many people may not even go to the hospital till the situation becomes grave. So, monitoring sewage is the best way of having a good estimate of pathogens in the population,” says Tata Institute for Genetics and Society director Rakesh Mishra.
The scientist, a former director of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), points out that sewage monitoring is not a novel technique as it has been used to check for polio cases for over two decades. During the COVID pandemic, the protocols were optimised to keep a watch on potential spike in cases and monitor for a new variant circulating among the population.
