Anosha Nangraj, CEO of Sustainable Business Development (SBD), presented her groundbreaking research project at the prestigious ASM Microbe 2024 conference held in Atlanta, USA. Her project, titled “Water Quality and Environmental Analysis of Shrines in Karachi,” was conducted under the funding support of Habib University.
This qualitative study involved the collection of drinking water samples from 24 shrines across Karachi, Sindh which are considered sacred sanctuaries and receive a high influx of visitors who consume water on-site. The collected samples were tested at Habib University’s laboratory using the Colilert IDEXX Kit, specifically targeting the detection of E. coli and Coliform bacteria.
The results revealed significant microbial contamination, highlighting a serious public health concern. The findings prompted a call to action for the Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department, Government of Sindh, which is responsible for managing these public spaces.
Participation in this international conference also paved the way for collaboration between Miss Anosha Nangraj and Dr. Robert Metcalf, Emeritus Professor at California State University. Through this connection, Dr. Metcalf’s Portable Microbiology Laboratory (PML) Kit is now being made accessible in Sindh, leading to the initiation of the JARR (Joint Action for Resilient Resources) Project.
During the event, Miss Anosha also engaged with numerous global experts in the fields of microbiology and public health, broadening the scope of potential collaborations and impact.
