Most of the country's rivers, including the Ganga and Yamuna, are now the biggest threats to human health.
Anoop Kumar Singh, New Delhi. Most of the rivers of the country including Ganga and Yamuna are now turning into the biggest invisible threat to human health. According to the report of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), rivers, lakes and groundwater in India have become major carriers and permanent reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
According to WHO-UNEP's 'Environmental Dimensions of Antimicrobial Resistance' report, 80 to 95 percent of urban waste water in Europe, Japan and North American countries receives advanced treatment, while in India, 72 percent of waste water is flowing directly into rivers, lakes and groundwater without any effective treatment. The data of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Jal Shakti Ministry also confirms this.
According to WHO and UNEP, untreated domestic waste water, industrial waste, hospital discharge, agricultural runoff, pharmaceutical pollution and antibiotic residues from animal husbandry continue to contaminate water sources. This crisis cannot be stopped without modern waste water treatment, zero discharge policy in the pharmaceutical industry, AMR surveillance in water sources and ‘One Health’ based policy coordination. And if this crisis of water sources is not controlled in time, then these rivers and lakes will prove to be the biggest 'silent killer'.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), uncontrolled use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, poultry and fisheries is a major source of the spread of AMR. A large part of the antibiotics given to animals and fish reach water sources as waste.
The UNEP report states that in developed countries, tertiary treatment (the most advanced process of treating waste water) removes antibiotic residues and resistance genes. Whereas the capacity, technology and coverage of sewage treatment plants in India are inadequate. The report of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) states that due to this, about 80 percent of the rivers in India and more than 31.5 crore people are at direct or indirect risk of AMR.
According to studies by ICMR, IIT and IWMI, rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, Kaveri, Krishna and Godavari have now become deadly centers of AMR.
North India: Yamuna and Ganga
Yamuna river in Delhi is a major center of AMR. According to ICMR studies, more than 139 resistance genes have been found in the water and sediment of Yamuna, of which Bla-NDM-1, Bla-CTX-M-15 and Bla-TEM-1 are the prominent ones. Of which 57.5 percent of E.coli strains are resistant to two antibiotics, while 20 percent of the strains are multi-drug resistant. The presence of class-1 integron was found in 75 percent of the samples, which is direct evidence of the spread of resistance genes.
CPCB's water quality assessment confirmed heavy metals like chromium, lead as well as residues of antibiotics ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, gatifloxacin, cefuroxime and ofloxacin in Yamuna.
The condition of river Ganga is also serious. According to IIT BHU and Bihar State Pollution Control Board, sulfonamide resistance genes were found in groundwater around the Ganga region. Their source was found to be hospital and domestic waste water. WHO-UNEP report states that the amount of Bla-NDM-1 gene increases up to 20 times during the pilgrimage and bathing festivals in the upper Ganga region (Rishikesh and Haridwar). Resistance genes have also been confirmed in Gomti and Saryu rivers.
South India: Kaveri, Krishna and Godavari
According to studies by IWMI and ICMR, resistant bacteria from agricultural runoff and urban waste are continuously increasing in the Kaveri River. Surveillance reports from the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) show a surge in AMR during festival season in the Krishna and Godavari basins along with the detection of various antibiotics in smaller rivers like Arkavati, Swarna and Netravati.
Lakes, ponds and groundwater: hidden but permanent threats
According to the reports of ICMR and UNEP, the sediments of lakes and ponds have become the reservoir of AMR which becomes active during floods and droughts. Cephalosporin resistant E.coli found in ground water, a big threat to rural areas. It is clear that AMR has now become not only an issue of environmental protection, but also a question of the treatment rights of future generations.
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