Bio-survey of Water Quality and Phytoplankton as Pollution Indicators of Ghaggar River, Punjab, India

Abstract

Polluted water not only affects the life of present generation but it also affect the life of upcoming generations because its effect remains for long. The aim of the present investigation was to study the pollution bioindicators of the River Ghaggar with special reference to phytoplankton.The study of the plankton with reference to the pollution bioindicators species and variations revealed that they could indicate the water quality.Phytoplankton population was composed of 4 major groups of algae namely Cyanophyceae (blue green algae), Chlorophyceae (green algae), Bacillariophyceae (diatoms) and Euglenophyceae in water ecosystem. At both the sites (S1, S2) a total of 35 genera of phytoplankton were recorded belonging to 4 major classes. Among these Bacillariophyceae with 20 genera were found to be dominant followed by Chlorophyceae with 7 genera, Cyanophyceae with 4 genera and Euglenophyceae with 3 genera during the study period. The study also shows that the species like Nitzschia palea, Synedra ulna, Euglena acus, Fragilaria sp., Oscillatoria sp., Gomphonema sp. Meridion sp., was present throughout the study period and they are the indicator of bad water quality. Phytoplankton population showed high diversity in the summer and low in monsoon period. Various diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Simpson’s diversity index and Pielou evenness index) were used to found the seasonal variation of phytoplankton. The Shannon- Wiener diversity index was most useful in indicating the trophic status of the water as well as the pollution status, which in this case, depicted a moderate level of pollution in River.