Lucknow,

21 Feb (HS): Renowned scientist Padmashree Dr Ajai Kumar Sonkar said that this

is possible due to the bacteriophages found in the water of Ganga. This quality

is most effective in the water of Ganga as compared to any other river. 1100

species of bacteriophages are found in the river Ganga. He said that I myself

have studied the water of Ganga many times in my laboratory.

Dr

Ajai said that I knew that crores of people would take a dip in this Maha

Kumbh. Before the start of Maha Kumbh, I read in the newspapers on 09 November

2024 that NGT has said that the water of Ganga is not suitable for drinking and

bathing. I collected water samples from various bathing ghats and tested them

in my laboratory. I did not find any such components in the water of Ganga

which could be pathogenic. He further

said that I was very curious to investigate the changes in the water of Ganga

due to millions of people bathing in it and to study the process of destruction

of bacteria by bacteriophages. Therefore, I collected water samples from

various ghats at intervals of a few days and in their examination, I never

found the level of bacteria to be increased in proportion to the pollution

caused by millions of people bathing. I felt the effect of hypnosis on myself

due to my study. Suddenly two days ago, the news again came in the newspapers

that NGT has said that the water of Ganga is not suitable for drinking and

bathing. I was surprised, I do not know who conducted the investigation and

from where were the samples collected?

But

in a hurry, I collected water samples from five bathing ghats yesterday

evening. I found that the water level was much lower than the previous days and

a lot of dirt was visible at two bathing ghats of Arail. I collected five

samples of water from between the people bathing and brought them to my

laboratory. After doing the preliminary investigation, I was surprised that the

bacterial growth in the Ganga water was not such that it would become diseased.

Dr.

Sonkar said that here I want to tell that bacterial growth in water often makes

the water more acidic because bacteria produce acidic byproducts as part of their

metabolism, which release lactic acid or carbonic acid in the surrounding

water, which lowers the pH level and makes it more acidic. But the five samples

of Ganga water were not acidic. The number of living bacteria in the microscope

test was very low. I kept the samples at

incubation temperature but even after 14 hours there was no increase in the

number of bacteria nor did I notice any foul smell. All the five water samples

are present in my laboratory. Anyone can go with me to any ghat and collect a

water sample, and test it in the laboratory with me whenever they want to

compare my statement.

Dr

Ajai said that the point to be noted here is that the way the water of Ganga

has been declared highly contaminated even before the Maha Kumbh. If such a situation

had happened, there would have been an outcry. There would have been no place

to stand in the hospitals. The administration could not have hidden the

infections of crores of people and the diseases born due to contaminated water

by doing anything. It is the power of Ganga to purify itself that even after

embracing 50 crore people, Ganga is still not diseased for any human. Countless

people have bathed in Ganga. Who knows how many of them must have been sick and

people with weak immunity. Nothing happened to anyone due to bathing in

Ganga. If it were so, there would be no

place to stand in the hospitals of many cities of the country.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi