JAIPUR: Cow urine could replace phenyl as a disinfectant in Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh (SMS) hospital, one of the biggest government-run hospitals in northern India, if a pilot project by the Rajasthan government to test its 'effectiveness' succeeds.

Following the directions of state health minister Rajendra Rathore , the SMS hospital administration is all set to test the effectiveness of ' Gau Clean ', a swadeshi disinfectant manufactured by a trust that runs a ' gau mutra ' (cow urine) refinery at Pathmeda in Sirohi district.

SMS hospital superintendent Dr Man Prakash Sharma said in the wards where 'Gau Clean' will be tested for 15 days, phenyl will not be used. "We have constituted a committee of three doctors which will test the effectiveness of the 'gau mutra' disinfectant." The committee will analyse its use in the ICU, on various medical equipment, hospital floor and various other properties as a disinfectant and a report will be submitted to the government.

The hospital is in the process of identifying the areas where the new product will be tested. The administration has already received 50 bottles of 'Gau Clean' for the pilot project.

Confirming the state government's move, Rajasthan's minister of Gaupalan (cow-rearing) department Otaram Dewasi told TOI on Wednesday, "Our primary aim is to find out how cow can become a source of income. If we want people to keep cow, then it should also earn some revenue. At Pathmeda gaushala, the researchers are trying to make products from cow urine so that it could become a source of income."

He said once the 'effectiveness' of the disinfectant manufactured in Pathmeda is tested at the SMS hospital, the government will take the next step. "Once 'Gau Clean' gets the licence from the Ayurveda department , it can be used in other government offices, buildings and even people will buy it from the market," Dewasi added.