The Central India Institute of Medical Sciences, Advance Research Center (CIIMS-ARC) Nagpur a the four storied new research centre by Dr. G.M Taori Central India Institute of Medical Sciences (CIIMS), Hospital, Bajaj Nagar,, has been at the forefront of sewage surveillance since 2021 for leveraging their expertise in surveying different pathogens especially covid 19 detection. To comprehensively monitor the presence of COVID-19 in the community, the dedicated CIIMS-ARC team has been meticulously collecting sewage water samples from recognized sewage treatment plants and open nullahs across the city regularly.

The team adheres to a weekly sample collection regimen, ensuring a consistent and up-to-date analysis of the city’s wastewater. Over the past 10 months, CIIMS-ARC’s remarkable efforts have yielded mesmerizing results. The data reported to the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) demonstrates that the presence of the virus in the city is almost negligible since the past 6-7 months. Our study shows that there is no threat for covid 19 at the moment informed by Dr Rajpal singh Kashyap, Director, CIIMS-ARC.

The team at CIIMS-ARC, comprising Ms. Rima Biswas, Mr. Sushrut Kulkarni, Ms. Akshata Nandanwar, and Ms. Pooja Lanjewar, is led by renowned scientist Dr. Rajpal Singh Kashyap, serving as the principal investigator and co-investigators Dr. Amit Nayak and Dr. Aliabbas Husain. This strategic approach ensures the seamless collection of wastewater from the entire urban area. Once the raw wastewater samples are obtained, rigorous treatment procedures are enacted to concentrate the viral load. Following this, nucleic acid amplification is conducted, and detection is accomplished using the highly sensitive, RT-PCR method. The team adheres to a weekly sample collection regimen, ensuring a consistent and up-to-date analysis of the city’s wastewater. This achievement is a testament to the effectiveness of sewage surveillance in identifying potential outbreaks and implementing proactive measures to safeguard public health.

Our team is keeping an eye on the new viruses in the wastewater as world health organization have issued a warning, suggesting that Covid 19 could just be sign of more catastrophic Disease pandemic to come, according to the daily mail. They alert that next pandemic might kill 20 times as many people as the Coronavirus did. Dr Rajpal said that he will talk to all concerned City state and central health authorities to detect and prevent the onset of the next pandemic; we need to invest in wastewater surveillance and develop comprehensive pandemic preparedness plans. We are preparing detailed proposals and will submit them to the concerned authorities.

CIIMS -ARC is a well established research centre in the city promoting Translational Research to save lives. It has all the facilities to carry out wastewater surveillance and related work. The Hospital based research Centre is one of a kind Centre in the whole of India developed with the objective of doing translational bedside to bench research by symbiotic collaboration between scientist and physician. The success of establishing CIIMS ARC for research has been only possible through active & continuous support from CIIMS Management and Director, CIIMS. The journey of research at CIIMS started under visionary leadership of two stalwarts, Dr G.M Taori, renowned Neuro physician and Dr. H.F. Daginawala, an ace Microbiologist and Neuroscientist.  In 2000, the basic life sciences research Centre was established under a small basement area of the hospital which was eventually further expanded to annex the research centre in 2012 to carry out activities beyond basic research. We all are trying to keep the dream of Dr. Taori alive, said Dr Kashyap.