Assessment of Ganga river ecosystem at Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India with reference to water quality indices

Abstract

The river Ganges is regarded as one of the most holy and sacred rivers of the world from time immemorial. The evaluation of river water quality is a critical element in the assessment of water resources. The quality/potability of water that is consumed defines the base line of protection against many diseases and infections. The present study aimed to calculate Water Quality Index (WQI) by the analysis of sixteen physico-chemical parameters on the basis of River Ganga index of Ved Prakash, weighted arithmetic index and WQI by National sanitation foundation (NSF) to assess the suitability of water for drinking, irrigation purposes and other human uses. These three water quality indices have been used to assess variation in the quality of the River Ganga at monitored locations over an 11-year period. Application of three different indexes to assess the water quality over a period of 11 years shows minor variations in water quality. Index values as per River Ganga Index by Ved Prakash et al. from 2000 to 2010 ranged between medium to good, Index values as per NSF Index for years 2000-2010 indicate good water quality, while Index values as per the weighted arithmetic index method for the study period indicate poor water quality.

Evaluation of Physicochemical Characteristics of Gomti River Water at Uttar Pradesh, India.

“…The deficiency of the oxygen in the water is favorable condition for bacteria and other pathogens, which are anaerobic and injurious to human health Radha,et al, 2007.Dissolved oxygen concentration is a most important Indicator of water pollution (Basavaraddi, et al, 2012). Similar observation also found by (Dhananjay, et al, 2013) in Gomti River water, in the Ganga River water values ranged between 9.50-11.0 mg/lit Bhutani, et al,2014).…”

Intensive allochthonous inputs along the Ganges River and their effect on microbial community composition and dynamics

“…It arises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and traverses through many major cities such as Haridwar, Kanpur and Allahabad, draining about one quarter of India. Because of the geographical, historical, sociocultural and economic reasons, it is the most important river for the Indian people (Buhtiani et al, 2016). During the past couple of decades, intensified anthropogenic effects on the river have been reported, caused by expanding human population, industrialization and intensive agricultural practices (Sood et al, 2008).…”

Assessment of a Physicochemical Indexing Method for Evaluation of Tropical River Water Quality

“…The subindices are derived according to the following equations with the ultimate score representing four classes [63-100: Class I (good-excellent/nonpolluted); 50-63: Class II (medium-good/nonpolluted); 38-50: Class III (bad/polluted); and <38: Class IV (bad-very bad/heavily polluted)]. Bhutiani et al [18] employed this index to assess the water quality of the River Ganga from 2000 to 2010.…”