Ganga water for Covid-19 treatment? NMCG sends proposal to ICMR for testing

New Delhi: The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), an arm of the Jal Shakti Ministry, has sent a proposal to the Indian Medical Research Council (ICMR) to perform clinical trial on Ganga water to examine if it can be used to treat patients infected with coronavirus.

The proposition was forwarded to the apex research body after Atulya Ganga, an organisation comprising Army Veterans, knocked on the doors of the Ministry requesting it to conduct clinical trials on the holy water to find the cure for the deadly viral disease.

An official of National Mission for Clean Ganga told IANS, on the condition of anonymity, that the proposal has been forwarded to ICMR.

In a detailed letter to the National Mission for Clean Ganga, the team of Atulya Ganga claimed that there are several species of bacteriophages in the upper stretches of the Ganga.

"In Ganges, scientists have discovered bacteriophages, and named it Ninja Virus, popularly known as Gangtva. Phages, as they are also called, are viruses that specifically target bacteria and are also extremely strain specific," the organisation, devoted to revive Ganga's pristine nature, stated.

Atulya Ganga founder, Major Manoj Keshwar (retd) said that there are scientific references to suggest that these phages have anti-microbial properties and could potentially destroy bacteria.

"India is blessed to have a holy river like Ganga and that people should look up to it to find the cure for coronavirus," he added.

Keshwar said that receiving a response from the NMCG has brought a ton of hope. "We are happy to see that the government is taking action."

By Aakanksha Khajuria

Read Also: COVID-19 vaccine in 1 month? CSIR pins hope on Sepsivac