The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has announced plans to expand its wastewater surveillance program to 50 cities over the next year to track pathogens in communities and strengthen early warning systems for outbreaks. The initiative, currently operational as a pilot in five cities, has already provided reliable data on the upsurge and decline of SARS-CoV-2, demonstrating the effectiveness of wastewater monitoring in capturing community-level infection trends.
The program is conducted in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Genetics and Society, the National Centre for Biological Sciences, the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, and the National Centre for Disease Control. Initially focused on SARS-CoV-2 and polio, the expanded surveillance will also include pathogens of both human and animal origin, enhancing the nation’s preparedness to respond to emerging…
