New midge fly species to help clean up J038;K water bodies

Seven new species of midge fly discovered by Pragya Khanna are highly sensitive to pollutants in water

Pragya Khanna recalls how,as a PhD scholar studying midge flies in Jammu,she came across species that didnt match any of the 800 species of Chironomids known to the world and contacted Jon Martina University of Melbourne expert on the insectson email,later sending him samples for identification. As Anthrax scare had gripped the world at the time,no courier service was prepared to carry a parcel containing ethanol to preserve the insects. Following an undertaking on stamp paper about the contents of the parcel,however,a courier service agency finally agreed to send the parcel to Australia.

Thats how the seven new species of midge fly,discovered by the 35-year-old lecturer of zoology at the Government College for Women in Parade Ground,Jammu,came to be called the PK series PK1-7. Unlike the 800 species of Chironomus known to taxonomists across the world,the PK series is highly sensitive to pollutants in water.

Khanna says she had found 14 species of Chironomus in Jammu,of which seven were not known to the world earlier,and the others were being reported for the first time located in India.

Her studies are based on the genotoxic effects of heavy metals and pesticides in water on the chromosomes of Chironomids. The chromosome structure of these species changes when exposed to pollutants,making them good bio-level indicators of pollution in water bodies,Khanna says.

Khannas name has been included in 26th edition of Marquis Whos Who in the World,published from New Jersey,USA. She has also been nominated for the prestigious International Educator of the Year 2009 award presented by Biographical Centre,Cambridge,England.

Khanna has so far examined the waters of the river Tawi and Balole Nullah in Jammu,Devika in Udhampur,Uttarvahini in Purmandal and Basantar near Samba. Except Uttarvahini,where the water is relatively clean thanks to the stream flowing underground,all other water bodies are highly contaminated,she says. Two years ago,when she started checking pollution levels,Devika was comparatively cleaner,Khanna says. Industrial discharge at Samba flowing into Basantar has started affecting the health of the people in the area.

Khanna is now working on DNA finger printing the new Chironomus species to find out through rapid DNA analysis how their genes get hampered upon exposure to pollution.

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The states Department of Science and Technology has sanctioned a three-year project costing Rs 4 lakh for her work on pollution in water bodies. The findings will be sent to the Department of Environment and Remote Sensing,municipal committees and the State Pollution Control Board,Khanna says.