WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE
1. Context
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will initiate wastewater surveillance for 10 viruses across 50 cities over the next six months. Currently, five cities are being monitored. The move is aimed at identifying any increase in virus growth trend at the earliest, said ICMR head Rajiv Bahl
2. What is Wastewater Surveillance?
- Wastewater surveillance is a scientific approach used to monitor the health of a population by analyzing the sewage or wastewater that flows through treatment plants, drains, or sewer systems.
- At its core, it is based on the simple idea that whatever people consume or excrete eventually finds its way into wastewater—whether that is viruses, bacteria, chemicals, or traces of substances like pharmaceuticals and even illicit drugs.
- By collecting and examining these samples, scientists can gain insights into what is happening in a community without having to test every individual directly.
- The process begins when samples of wastewater are taken from sewage treatment plants or specific points in the sewer network. These samples are then analyzed in laboratories using advanced techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detecting genetic material of pathogens like viruses.
- For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, wastewater surveillance was widely used to track the presence and spread of the coronavirus in communities, often providing early warning signs before clinical testing data caught up.
- Beyond viruses, wastewater can reveal the circulation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, levels of heavy metals and toxins, or the consumption trends of substances like nicotine or opioids.
- One of the main advantages of this method is that it is cost-effective and non-intrusive. Instead of relying only on clinical testing, which depends on people coming forward and being tested, wastewater surveillance captures data from the entire community at once.
- This means it can detect the presence of infections even among people who are asymptomatic or unwilling to be tested.
- In this way, it becomes a powerful tool for public health officials, enabling them to predict outbreaks, plan healthcare responses, and evaluate whether interventions like vaccination campaigns are working.
- Importantly, wastewater surveillance does not track individuals but rather provides aggregated, population-level information. This makes it both a scientifically valuable and ethically acceptable method of monitoring public health.
- Many countries are now expanding its use, not only for infectious diseases but also for broader environmental monitoring—such as tracking pollution, understanding the spread of microplastics, or even studying the impact of climate change on water systems.
3. Significance of Wastewater Surveillance
- The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has observed that, similar to other nations worldwide, India is witnessing a sharp rise in both new and recurring infectious agents, including viral, bacterial, and zoonotic diseases.
- This growing pathogen burden is largely driven by factors such as rapid population expansion, urbanisation, ecological shifts, and closer interactions between humans and animals.
- In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WBE) has gained recognition as a valuable method for the early identification of potential outbreaks.
- Experts highlight that WBE functions as a predictive tool, capable of offering near-real-time insights at the community level. It not only aids in monitoring pathogens but also provides a means to anticipate and reduce the risks of future pandemics, often before clinical cases begin to appear.
- This technique is considered efficient, non-invasive, and cost-effective, allowing wide-scale monitoring of how infectious diseases emerge, spread, and eventually decline.
- By detecting viruses and bacteria present in human excreta, WBE generates crucial information on infection trends, including data from individuals who are asymptomatic or in early stages of infection, thereby supporting timely public health action
4. India's Plan to treat Wastewater
- Over the coming six months, India plans to expand wastewater surveillance across the country, allowing authorities to detect any surge in viral presence within communities. At present, monitoring is focused on the COVID-19 and polio viruses
- The system will soon be extended to track a wider range of illnesses linked to pathogens that cause symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, respiratory problems, and acute encephalitis syndrome (a condition involving brain inflammation).
- The ICMR is also working on building environmental surveillance mechanisms for viruses like Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) by examining wastewater and surface water in outbreak-prone regions, creating an early-warning framework.
- India already maintains an extensive surveillance network for Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) through the ICMR and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).
- Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance (WES) strengthens this by testing sewage and other water bodies contaminated by human waste.
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that individuals infected with diseases such as COVID-19 shed fragments of viruses or bacteria through everyday activities like using toilets, washing hands, bathing, or doing laundry—even if they show no symptoms. These traces are carried into sewage systems through drains and pipes.
- Before the wastewater undergoes treatment, operators collect samples, which are then sent to laboratories for analysis. The results, usually available within five to seven days, reveal the pathogens currently spreading in the population.
- Public health authorities rely on this data to track disease trends, design preventive measures, and implement strategies such as increasing diagnostic testing or rolling out vaccination drives
5.What is National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) ?
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is an agency established by the Government of India to coordinate and manage disaster response and preparedness at the national level. The NDMA's primary objectives are to formulate policies, plans, and guidelines for disaster management and ensure their effective implementation.
Key aspects of NDMA include:
- NDMA develops national policies and guidelines for disaster management to strengthen the country's ability to respond to and mitigate the effects of disasters
- It coordinates between various government departments, agencies, and stakeholders involved in disaster management, ensuring a cohesive approach to disaster response and recovery
- NDMA oversees the implementation of disaster management plans and provides technical assistance and guidance to state and district authorities
- It focuses on building the capacity of institutions and individuals through training, simulations, and public awareness programs
- NDMA supports research on disaster management practices and technologies to improve preparedness and response strategies
- During a disaster, NDMA plays a key role in mobilizing resources, providing strategic direction, and coordinating relief efforts
6. Way Forward
Wastewater surveillance has emerged as an important tool not only for gathering health-related information and controlling the spread of diseases but also for identifying land-based sources of pollution. It further contributes valuable insights for safeguarding freshwater and marine ecosystems while supporting the preservation of ecosystem services. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) notes that while this growing use of wastewater monitoring is a positive sign for strengthening health systems and advancing sustainable environmental management, greater efforts are still required to scale it up, promote best practices, and improve water quality assessment. Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) is actively engaged in building capacity for wastewater and environmental surveillance worldwide
|
For Prelims: Flash Floods, Covid - 19, World Health Organisation, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
For Mains: GS III - Waste Water Management
|
|
Previous Year Questions
1. Select the correct statement about the Sendai framework (MPSC 2019)
1. This framework is passed by United Nations organisations conference at Sendai (Japan) on 18th March 2015
2. This framework is regarding measures for Disaster Risk Reduction
3. This is an onward step of the Hyogo Framework about disaster management
4. The provisions in this framework are binding on member countries
Select the correct code
A. 1 and 2 B. 2 and 3 C. 1, 2, 3 D. All the above
Answer - C
|
Source: The Hindu
