Abstract
This study evaluates the changes in the water quality of the River Ganga and the Yamuna due to the mass bathing events on the occasion of Kumbh-2019 at Sangam in Prayagraj district, Uttar Pradesh, India, by using multivariate statistical techniques and Water Quality Index (WQI). Water samples were collected from 15 locations and analyzed for 17 water quality parameters during the Kumbh-2019 period. The concentration of water quality parameters was used to estimate the WQI. A change in the value of WQI during the studied period was used to interpret the effect of mass bathing. The result of the Analysis of variance (ANOVA) analysis indicates significant variation in the concentration of Electrical conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), anions (HCO3−, Cl−, SO42−, PO43−, NO3−), H4SiO4 and Most Probable Number (MPN) count during Kumbh-2019 event. The concentration of water quality parameters COD, NH4+, NO3− and H4SiO4 showed an increase of 31%, 55%, 40%, and 16%, respectively, during the Kumbh-2019 period. The high MPN count (920 - >1800/100 ml) observed during the Kumbh period makes it unfit for drinking and bathing. The pH, COD, NH4, and MPN counts are primary factors contributing to the water quality index (WQI) during the Kumbh period. The WQI value observed during the Kumbh period was relatively higher and ranged between 59 and 132, indicating the degradation of water quality from very poor to unsuitable for drinking purposes during the Kumbh-2019.
Published Version
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