Abstract
In the Himalayas, most of the towns are located near the bank of rivers and streams. River water is supplied for drinking and other purposes. However, a scientific analysis of drinking water quality is essential for the vital rivers that feed thousands. In this work, we assess the drinking water quality Alaknanda River at Srinagar, Garhwal Himalaya. The water quality index (WQI) is estimated based on 11 physical parameters that are compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS). Water samples were collected at Srinagar pump station and tested Jal Sansthan Department Srinagar from Dec. 2017 to June 2018. An average pH of 7.83 is estimated of river water while other parameter averages, such as TDS (137.16), Chloride (2.52), Total hardness (94.38), Calcium (30.17), Magnesium (4.72), Total alkalinity (80.47), Nitrate (0.51), Sulphates (23.18), Fluoride (0.34) and Iron (0.10), are within desirable limits. The analysis reveals that the raw water of the Alaknanda River is experiencing a high concentration (213.4) of Coliform because of the occasional pre-monsoon rainfall which increased the sediment runoff in the river water and human activities. Month-wise water quality index (WQI) was also calculated that shows that December and January water is under good quality (<50), Feb to March water quality is good (50 to 75) and May and June water quality is not useful for drinking. Rainy season river water is highly polluted by flood sediments without purification.
Published Version
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