Abstract
An attempt has been made to assess the water quality status of the lower stretch of river Ganga flowing through West Bengal for drinking using integrated techniques. For this study, 11 parameters at 10 locations from Beharampur to Diamond Harbour over nine years (2011-2019) were considered. The eastern stretch of Ganga showed a variation of Water Quality Index (WQI) from 55 to 416 and Synthetic Pollution Index (SPI) from 0.59 to 3.68 in nine years. The result was endorsed through a fair correlation between WQI and SPI (r2 > 0.95). The map interpolated through GIS revealed that the entire river stretch in the year 2011, 2012, and 2019 and location near to ocean during the entire period of nine years were severely polluted (WQI > 100 or SPI > 1). Turbidity and boron concentration mainly contribute to the high scores of indices. Further, the origin of these ions was estimated through multivariate statistical techniques. It was affirmed that the origin of boron is mainly attributed to seawater influx, that of fluoride to anthropogenic sources, and other parameters originated through geogenic as well as human activities. Based on the research, a few possible water treatment mechanisms are suggested to render the water fit for drinking.
Highlights
River Ganga, internationally known as The Ganges, is one of the major rivers in India and plays a pivotal role in sustaining the lives of millions of people both physically as well as spiritually
Physico-chemical analysis In the present study, a detailed analysis of physico-chemical parameters is conducted for assessment of water quality of the mentioned stretch of river Ganga comprising ten locations as illustrated in box plot (Figure 2) displaying the six-number summary of the data set from the years 2011–2019
Apart from this, quantitative assessment of a few important parameters such as heavy metals, pesticides, etc. might be evaluated on a monthly basis for better assessment of the river water. This information can be focused for further assessment of drinking water quality in the lower stretch of the river. This constitutes a pioneer study for water quality assessment of the eastern stretch of one of the most polluted rivers in India, the Ganga by the application of Water Quality Index (WQI) and Synthetic Pollution Index (SPI), and the data set is integrated with geographic information system (GIS) for depicting the status of pollution in a better manner
Summary
River Ganga, internationally known as The Ganges, is one of the major rivers in India and plays a pivotal role in sustaining the lives of millions of people both physically as well as spiritually. It was declared as the ‘National River of India’ and drains approximately one-fourth of the Indian territory. The towns on the river banks support about 37% of the urban population. Over a period of time, the quality of water of the river has deteriorated due to pollution from various point and non-point sources resulting from increasing population density, rapid industrialization, unplanned urbanization, and rising living standards. Despite the alarming level of pollution, untreated water is still used for various purposes, which may impact
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