Assessment of Water Quality Status and Zooplanktons of River Bhagirathi In Uttarkashi

Abstract

The present paper was depicted to analyze the water quality status in single terms and zooplanktons of the Bhagirathi river. The water quality parameters were analyzed in lab.such as pH, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Total Hardness (TH), Chloride, Dissolved Oxygen, Calcium , Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD and Chloride. In the I site of the first area , the value of WQI in monsoon 55.79, winter 31.73 and summer 45.66, In the site 2, the value of WQI in monsoon 61.46 ,winter 38.17and summer 46.42 , In the site 3 ,the value of WQI in monsoon 61.36 , winter 32.91 and summer 47.55 were observed. Water quality index in the all study site is good in winter and summer, but poor in monsoon season. These fresh water systems also support various forms of aquatic life. The zooplankton of our study site mainly comprised of Protozoa, Rotifer, Copepoda and Cladocera. A total of 11 genera of Zooplanktons were observed during the course of study. The maximum number of Zooplanktons genera was during winter and minimum during rainy season. The most remarkable aspect of River Bhagirathi at these sites seems to be the tremendous potential to heal the health of entire river ecology that get damaged due to insufficient water released from the hydro-electric power project after dam wall into the main river channel .Immediate steps need to be taken in order to restore the ecological balance – mainly in main river channels after the dam wall of hydro-electric power projects.

Keywords

• water quality status
• water quality index
• physico-chemical parameters
• bio-indicators” of an aquatic ecosystems