Surface water quality with painstaking human impacts - a case study of the Wainganga river, Bhandara, Maharashtra, India.

Author(s): Devendra Pandey

Abstract

The present paper ardently deals with the surface water vulnerability assessment of River Wainganga in Tahsil Bhandara of Bhandara District of Maharashtra State, India. The surface water vulnerability assessment of River Wainganga in Tahsil Bhandara is analyzed according to the guidelines provided by the Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi, APHE, IHP and WHO. A total number of 36 surface water samples collected from drainage and sub-drainages of River Wainganga in Tahsil Bhandara of Bhandara District, Maharashtra State during 2010-11 were analyzed for pH, EC, Fe, Zn and Cu. The pH was found in the alkaline range (7.21-8.32), while conductance was obtained in the range of 221-3364 µmhos/cm. Fe, Zn and Cu were detected enormously higher than the permissible limit for the samples in the range of 5.50-55.85, 2.12-39.18 and 12.6-418.30 mg/l respectively. Overall seasonal variation was significant for Fe, Zn and Cu. The maximum mean concentration of Fe (55.85 mg/l) was observed in summer, Zn (39.18 mg/l) in monsoon. Fe, Zn and Cu concentrations also varied with the change of sampling locations. The highest mean on concentrations (mg/l) of Fe (55.85) and Zn (39.18) was observed at Warthi near Sunflag Iron Steel Plant. Whereas the Cu (418.3 mg/l) was obtained at the downstream station, Bhandara Bridge. All in all, the dominance of various heavy metals in the surface water of the river Wainganga followed the sequence: Cu > Fe > Zn. A significant positive correlation was exhibited for conductivity of water with Cu and Zn.

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