Nainital Lake Research Articles

Diversity and Environmental Significance of Moss-Dwelling Testate Amoebae in Various Biotopes Around Nainital Lake, Uttarakhand

The present research aims to record the diversity of testate amoebae occurring in different biotopes around Nainital Lake, Uttarakhand, concerning distribution. Free-living, testate amoebae are single-celled protists with external shells and acting excellent bio-indicators of environmental changes. Collection of Tree, Rock and wall Moss samples was done at different locations around the Nainital Lake area from both the littoral zones and the terrestrial regions. The results show an impressive number of species of testate amoebae; 39 species of testate amoebae span over 11 genera and 8 families that all are new for the region and stress the role of some species in biomonitoring and evaluation of the condition of the environment in these peculiar biotopes. This study not only increases researcher’s knowledge on the testate amoebae species distribution in Nainital Lake but also contributes to the body of knowledge that would be useful for the ecological and environmental status of the area in the future. The outcomes of the research confirm the need for the conservation of the habitats in the area surrounding Nainital Lake to sustain the biodiversity and ecosystems of the region.

Microplastic pollution in high-altitude Nainital lake, Uttarakhand, India

Microplastics (MPs) contamination has been reported in all environmental compartments, but very limited information is available at higher-altitude lakes. Nainital Lake, located at a high altitude in the Indian Himalayas, has various ecosystem services and is the major source of water for Nainital town, but the MP abundance is still unknown. This study presents the first evidence of the abundance and distribution of MP in Nainital Lake. Surface water and sediment samples were analysed from 16 different sites in and around the catchment area of Nainital Lake. The MP were observed in all the samples, and their abundance in surface water was 8.6–56.0 particles L−1 in the lake and 2.4–88.0 particles L−1 in hotspot sites. In the surface sediment, MP abundance ranged from 0.4–10.6 particles g−1, while in the hotspot sediment, the mean abundance was 0.6 ± 0.5 particles g−1. Fibers were the dominant MP, while 0.02–1 mm were the predominant size of MP particles. The results of chemical characterization showed the presence of six polymers, among which high-density polyethylene was the most abundant. The Polymer Hazard Index assessment classified the identified polymers as low-to high-risk categories, with a higher abundance of low- (polypropylene) and medium- (polyethylene)-risk polymers. Tourist activities and run-off catchments can be considered the major sources of MP, which can affect the ecosystem. Minimal concentrations of MP were observed in the tube well and drinking water, which depicts the direct risks to humans and, thus, the need for remedial measures to prevent MP contamination in drinking water. This study improves the knowledge of MP contamination in the higher-altitude freshwater lake, which can be the major pathway for the transport of MP to the rivers, and also emphasizes the need for waste management in Nainital town.

Detection of Water Spread Area Changes in Eutrophic Lake Using Landsat Data.

Adequate water resource management is essential for fulfilling ecosystem and human needs. Nainital Lake is a popular lake in Uttarakhand State in India, attracting lakhs of tourists annually. Locals also use the lake water for domestic purposes and irrigation. The increasing impact of climate change and over-exploration of water from lakes make their regular monitoring key to implementing effective conservation measures and preventing substantial degradation. In this study, dynamic change in the water spread area of Nainital Lake from 2001 to 2018 has been investigated using the multiband rationing indices, namely normalized difference water index (NDWI), modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI), and water ratio index (WRI). The model has been developed in QGIS 3.4 software. A physical GPS survey of the lake was conducted to check the accuracy of these indices. Furthermore, to determine the trend in water surface area for a studied period, a non-parametric Mann–Kendall test was used. San’s slope estimator test determined the magnitude of the trend and total percentage change. The result of the physical survey shows that NDWI was the best method, with an accuracy of 96.94%. Hence, the lake water spread area trend is determined based on calculated NDWI values. The lake water spread area significantly decreased from March to June and July to October at a 5% significance level. The maximum decrease in water spread area has been determined from March to June (7.7%), which was followed by the period July to October (4.67%) and then November to February (2.79%). The study results show that the lake’s water spread area decreased sharply for the analyzed period. The study might be helpful for the government, policymakers, and water experts to make plans for reclaiming and restoring Nainital Lake. This study is very helpful in states such as Uttarakhand, where physical mapping is not possible every time due to its tough topography and climate conditions.

Seasonal Fluctuation of Escherichia coli in Nainital Lake, Uttarakhand State, India

The season has a significant impact on the presence of microorganisms in water sources. Various contaminants and bacteria are transported into water sources by heavy rains. Because of the poor microbiological condition of such water bodies, regular monitoring is required. Routine monitoring, on the other hand, considers the microbial quality of the water column.The objective of this research was to investigate the microbiological quality of Nainital Lake in Uttarakhand, using Escherichia coli as a faecal indicator organism, and examine how seasonal fluctuations (dry and rainy seasons) affected its abundance. During 2018 and 2019, samples were taken from Nainital Lake sampling sites during the summer (dry) and rainy (wet) seasons and presence of E. coli was examined using various media, IMViC and catalase tests. E. coli was discovered at all of the locations and its concentration was influenced by seasonal variations. In both years, the cfu/ml count during the rainy season was observed higher in comparison to count during the summer. The transmission of this bacteria into the water column as a result of events such as floods or human activities might harm the health of those who consume untreated lake water for recreation and other domestic reasons. As a result, community education for health care practitioners and the general public about the proper use of lake water is essential. In order to preserve human health and other aquatic life, regular water quality monitoring is also required.

Efficient water quality prediction models based on machine learning algorithms for Nainital Lake, Uttarakhand

Water quality deterioration increases day by day in hilly areas due to increasing tourism activity, unplanned construction, disposal of solid waste, improper sewage management.With this idea, the work investigates different machine learning algorithms to evaluate the water quality index (WQI) and the water quality class (WQC). This paper utilizes Nainital Lake as a study area. The models used for testing and training comprise algorithms of machine learning for both binary and multiclass classification. In this paper, eight machine learning algorithms were employed for regression analysis, and nine machine learning algorithms were used for classification analysis. The result demonstrates that in regression analysis, the Random Forest algorithm comes out to be the most efficient Machine Learning algorithm. However, in the case of classification analysis, no single algorithm is good enough for prediction, three algorithms Stochastic Gradient Descent, Random Forest, and Support Vector Machine with the same accuracy proved to be efficient to predict water quality.

Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia Coli Isolated from Lake Nainital, Uttarakhand State, India

Researchers have encountered new challenges with the discovery of multiple drug resistance in microbes. Currently, multidrug resistant bacteria are considered a major public health concern and an emerging global epidemic. Presence of Escherichia coli in water is used as a faecal pollution measure. In this study E. coli isolates were collected from 20 sample collection sites at Lake Nainital. 20 E. coli isolates, 1 from each sample collection sites, were examined for their antibiotic response patterns against a panel of widely used 15 antibiotics. The result of this study showed 100% resistance to Penicillin G followed by Erythromycin (80%). All isolates (100%) were found susceptible for Gentamycin. The susceptibilities for Chloramphenicol and Co-trimoxazaole were found next to Gentamycin as 90 and 85% respectively. Multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index was also determined. 0.73 MAR index was observed as highest in 1 isolate. 13 out of 20 isolates had more than 0.2 MAR indices. The result reveals the origin of E. coli isolates from an area of high antibiotics use.

Sedimentation Pattern and its Controlling Factors in Indian Lakes

Sedimentation in lakes occurs from the time of its formation and continues till the final deposition. The rate of sedimentation varies depending upon climate, geology, soil cover and relief. In the present study, an attempt has been made to investigate the distribution and variation of sedimentation rate in Indian lakes. For this purpose, Indian lakes are classified into three zones viz., North Indian lakes (NIL), Central Indian lakes (CIL), South Indian lakes (SIL) and 27 sampling points distributed throughout India has been considered among all three zones. Correlation of rate of sedimentation data with catchment area, surface area and lithology is done in order to understand the controlling factors, rainfall and temperature data are also taken into consideration to know the effect on the sedimentation rate. In all three zones, the highest precipitation observed 2488, 1800 and 4000 mm/yr in the Nainital lake, Chilika lake and Pookot lake, respectively and temperature fluctuations in the northern region of India is higher than the central and southern region. The results showed that the NIL have relatively higher sedimentation rate compared to the CIL and SIL due to slopy terrain, higher precipitation, temperature and lithological inconsistency in northern Indian region whereas all these factors are less effective in other two zones with a minor contribution from other independent factors. NIL have ~0.634-0.804 cm/yr and ~0.636-1.117 cm/yr more sedimentation rate than CIL and SIL, respectively.

Hybrid approach for urban hilly catchment runoff modelling and prediction of pollutant loads

ABSTRACT This paper presents a hybrid approach for stormwater runoff modelling and pollutant load estimation in a hilly catchment. The stormwater runoff hydrograph was simulated by developing a conceptual hybrid model (HM) using transfer function. Model parameters were estimated by non-linear optimization. The simulated runoff hydrographs showed an excellent match with the observed data. Next, a relationship was developed between runoff and pollutant load and the developed relationship was used for estimation of pollutant load. A novelty of this hybrid approach is that it could bring out a generic HM. By using the derived model, the pollutant load was successfully predicted from simulated runoff (R2 > 0.75) by considering rainfall as the only input. In addition, assessment, characterization and analysis of the first flush of urban runoff also form part of the study. The HM was tested and validated by applying it to 25 storm events monitored during two monsoon seasons in the Nainital Lake catchment (approx. 1900 m a.m.s.l.), India.

Geospatial assessment of urban sprawl and landslide susceptibility around the Nainital lake, Uttarakhand, India

Landslide is one of the challenges faced by mountainous regions due to natural phenomena and human activity. Nainital district in the state of Uttarakhand is one of the popular tourist spots in India. It is situated in a lesser Himalayan belt facing experiences number of landslides every year. This region comes under the Main Boundary Thrust and Main Central Thrust which are considered to be very sensitive for landslides. Landslide susceptibility mapping is a proficient tool to identify vulnerable zones for landslides. Remote sensing and geographic information system are very effective tools for collecting, analysing and interpreting land use data, and on the other hand, multi-criteria valuation (MCE) allows users for decision-making by considering various factors affecting the process of the landslide. The MCE technique was applied considering present land use/land cover, slope, drainage, lithology, geomorphology, and type of soil. Overlay analysis and land susceptibility mapping was carried out for the area around the Nainital lake. The study concludes with hot spot analysis and recommends mitigation measures like geotextiles, retaining walls and strict building by-laws for preventing landslides.

Performance evaluation of conservation plan for freshwater lakes in India through a scoring methodology

The restoration or rejuvenation of freshwater ecosystem is being performed through formulation and implementation of conservation plans by the administrative authorities. However, it is essential to examine the performance of conservation plan for addressing the success of work done. The present study aims to develop a novel scoring methodology that could be widely used to assess the performance of a lake conservation plan. Scoring methodology is based on four major characteristics of conservation plan as: ecological lake characteristics, lake catchment characteristics, threat to the lake ecosystem, conservation and management policy. These characteristic terms are given a weightage and score values, which are used to evaluate an overall score of lake that represent the cumulative performance of conservation plan. This scoring methodology is used to assess the performance of conservation plan for four Indian lakes, namely Dal Lake, Nainital Lake, Anasagar Lake, and Rankala Lake. The results reveal that the conservation plans for Dal and Nainital lakes exhibit average performance with overall score values of 138, and 121, respectively. The water quality index of Anasagar Lake is evaluated as 25 that exhibit very poor water quality, while those of other lakes are obtained in poor quality range 50–70. The overall score < 89.5 is obtained for Anasagar and Rankala lakes, which represent poor performance of conservation plan. It is suggested that the scoring methodology could be useful for lake administrative authorities and researchers to assess the performance of implemented conservation plans, and to improvise the strategic interventions for conservation of lakes, worldwide.

Variation of Heavy metals in Water, Sediment and Macrovegetation of Lake Nainital, India

Assessment of six heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Mn, Pb, Cd and As) in water, sediment and macrovegetation of Lake Nainital was made from September 2016 to February 2017 to evaluate their status in the lake. Three sites, viz. S1 (aeration center), S2 (platform near the Naina Devi) and S3 (boat stand in Tallital), were selected, and fortnightly, sampling was made. The study shows that the water of the lake is contaminated with Pb and Mn poses threat to human as the lake water is used for domestic water supply.

Runoff characterization and pollutant load estimation of Nainital lake, India

Lakes are the primary sources of drinking water in hilly regions, where the scope of boring tubewells, canals and lift irrigation is limited. Nainital Lake is the principal source of water supply for Nainital, a popular hill station situated around 1937 m above the mean sea level (MSL), in the foothills of the outer Himalayas. The Nainital Lake is the major tourist attraction and forms the economic backbone of Nainital town, India. Thus, the water quality of the lake, and the influent runoff characteristics are of critical importance. Eutrophication is the primary water quality issue. To reduce the excessive external nutrient loading, identification of the major influent drain and estimation of pollutant loads is a crucial step. We characterized various water quality parameters (pH, turbidity, BOD5, COD, PO4-P, T-P, NO3-N, Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu) and pollutant loads over a period of one year, which included a rainy season. The runoff drain contributing the major share of the pollutants to the lake was identified. Nitrogen and phosphorous budgets over the one-year period revealed that wet weather flow is the major contributor of nutrients to the lake. Phosphorous is the limiting nutrient, which controls eutrophication. The Phosphorous load into the lake during the wet weather season was twelve times more than that during the dry weather season.

Urban stormwater runoff treatment of Nainital Lake's catchment: an application of ballasted sand flocculation technology

Abstract Stormwater runoffs are one of the primary causes for deteriorating water quality in the Nainital Lake, India – a prominent tourist attraction and the sole drinking water source for the habitants of Nainital City. Treatment of fluctuating runoffs and contaminant influxes before mixing with the lake's water by conventional methods would require a large land footprint, which is a big constraint in the Nainital because of the hilly region. Ballasted sand flocculation (BSF) technology requires much less land footprint; a full-scale 1 MLD capacity pilot plant was applied for treatment of stormwater runoffs of the Nainital Lake. Twenty-eight storm events were monitored for runoff characterization and for evaluating the performance of BSF technology. The runoff water showed marked variation especially for total suspended solids (TSS), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total coliform (TC) and fecal coliform (FC) with maximum concentrations of 964 mg/l, 2.35 mg/l, 520 mg/l, 299 mg/l, 21 × 105 MPN/100 ml and 14 × 104 MPN/100 ml. The performance analyses results of the pilot plant revealed that the contaminants including trace metals in the stormwater runoff were reduced appreciably and the pollutant removal efficiencies were found to be largely unaffected by fluctuation of the influent contaminants' concentration.

Hill slope instability of Nainital City, Kumaun Lesser Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India

Nainital City of Kumaun Lesser Himalaya is prone to mass wasting processes during monsoon season, which mischievously triggers the hill slope instability in this region. Slate, dolomitic limestone, silty sandstone and rhythmite of the Krol Formation are the main rock types. The present study focuses on the investigation of slope stability in the region in terms of potential seismicity and landslide. Geological and geotechnical mapping indicates that the major portion of the area is characterized by slope wash materials and buildings. The combination of 3–4 joint sets with one random joint is the main structure at outcrops. The major geological structures of this area are Nainital lake fault passing from the center of the lake, Main Boundary Thrust at SW, and Khuriya Fault passing from the SE direction of Nainital City. This work finds that different types of discontinuities (e.g. joints and faults), overburden due to unplanned civil structures, and neotectonic activity in the vicinity of this area affect the stability of the city. The slate forms the base of the city, dipping slightly towards the lake side along the NW direction, thus accelerating the instability of this area. Rock mass rating (RMR), slope mass rating, factor of safety (FOS) and graphical analysis of the discontinuity for slope kinematics indicate that the study area is a landslide-prone zone. This study can facilitate reducing the risk of human life, and contribute to the ongoing construction works in the area.

Application of Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) in monitoring slope movements in Nainital, Uttarakhand Lesser Himalaya, India

Orogenic movements and sub-tropical climate have rendered the slopes of the Himalayan region intensely deformed and weathered. As a result, the incidences of slope failure are quite common all along the Himalayan region. The Lesser Himalayan terrane is particularly vulnerable to mass-movements owing to geological fragility, and many parts of it are bearing a high-risk of associated disaster owing to the high population density. An important step towards mitigation of such disasters is the monitoring of slope movement. Towards this, the Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) technique can be applied. In the present study, the PSI technique is employed in Lesser Himalayan town of Nainital in Uttarakhand state of India to decipher and monitor slope movements. A total of 15 multi-date ENVISAT ASAR satellite images, acquired during August 2008 to August 2010 period, were subjected to PSI, which revealed a continuous creep movement along the hillslopes located towards the eastern side of the Nainital lake. The higher reaches of the hill seem to be experiencing accelerated creep of \({\sim }21\) mm/year, which decreases downslope to \({\sim }5\) mm/year. Based on spatial pattern of varying PSI Mean LOS Velocity (MLV) values, high (H), moderate (M), low (L) and very low (S) creeping zones have been delineated in the hillslopes. Given the long history of mass movements and continuously increasing anthropogenic activities in Nainital, these results call for immediate measures to avert any future disaster in the town.

Application of environmental isotopes and hydrochemistry in the identification of source of seepage and likely connection with lake water in Lesser Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India

Oxygen (\({\updelta }^{18}\hbox {O}\)) and hydrogen (\({\updelta }^{2}\hbox {H}\) and \(^{3}\hbox {H}\)) isotopes of water, along with their hydrochemistry, were used to identify the source of a newly emerged seepage water in the downstream of Lake Nainital, located in the Lesser Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India. A total of 57 samples of water from 19 different sites, in and around the seepage site, were collected. Samples were analysed for chemical tracers like \(\hbox {Ca}^{++}\), \(\hbox {Mg}^{++}\), \(\hbox {Na}^{+}\), \(\hbox {K}^{+}\), \({\hbox {SO}_{4}}^{--}\) and \(\hbox {Cl}^{-}\) using an Ion Chromatograph (Dionex IC-5000). A Dual Inlet Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (DIIRMS) and an Ultra-Low Level Liquid Scintillation Counter (ULLSC), were used in measurements of stable isotopes (\({\updelta }^{2}\hbox {H}\) and \({\updelta }^{18}\hbox {O}\)) and a radioisotope (\(^{3}\hbox {H}\)), respectively. Results obtained in this study repudiate the possibility of any likely connection between seepage water and the lake water, and indicate that the source of seepage water is mainly due to locally recharged groundwater. The study suggests that environmental isotopes (\({\updelta }^{2}\hbox {H}\), \({\updelta }^{18}\hbox {O}\) and \(^{3}\hbox {H}\)) can effectively be used as ‘tracers’ in the detection of the source of seepage water in conjunction with other hydrochemical tracers, and can help in water resource management and planning.

Appraisal of water quality in the Lakes of Nainital District through numerical indices and multivariate statistics, India

ABSTRACTNainital district is naturally gifted with numbers of natural water bodies. Among these water bodies, the four lakes (Nainital, Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal and Sattal) are the major source of freshwater for the local inhabitants and industries situated in surrounding area. However, the lakes receive an enormous amount of untreated wastewater which imbalances the nutrients concentration in lake water. Therefore, the present study is focused to assess the water quality using water quality indices (NSFWQI, CPI and HPI) based on the concentration of parameters (like DO, BOD, heavy metals, etc.) in the lakes. The envirometric applications (HCA and PCA) were also used to identify the similarity in pollution load at sampling locations and the source of factor responsible for pollution in the lakes. The water samples were collected in pre- and post-monsoon months in the year 2014–2015, from 12 sampling locations. The results indicate that the water quality of lakes is unsuitable for drinking, as the average CPI was 0.90 and 0.88 in Bhimtal Lake, 1.42 and 1.43 in Nainital Lake, 1.19 and 1.27 in Naukuchiatal Lake, 1.46 and 1.42 in Sattal Lake in pre- and post-monsoon months, respectively. The HPI was found more in Nainital Lake than in rest other three lakes, while risk assessment index (RAI) was found in range RAI > 1 in the four lakes. HCA gained two clusters and PCA gained two PCs, which indicate the impact of both anthropogenic and natural sources for deterioration of water quality. Therefore, it has been suggested that the lake water must be treated before used for drinking.

Slope stability analysis of Balia Nala landslide, Kumaun Lesser Himalaya, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India

Balia Nala is the outlet of the Nainital lake, flowing towards southeast direction. Presence of Nainital habitation at its right bank has high socio-economic importance. This study presents the stability analysis of a ravine/valley along Balia Nala. Variegated slates (lower Krol and upper Blaini formations) are the main rock types, wherever the outcrop does exist and rest of the area is covered by slope wash and river borne materials. Three sets of joints are presented in the area, but 4 sets of joints also exist at some locations. Nainital lake fault intersected by Manora fault from southwest direction passes through eastern side of the study area, and some small faults, which are sub-branches of Nainital lake fault, are observed (with 10 m offset) and promote the landslide in the area. This study shows that different kinds of discontinuities (joints, faults and shear zones) and rapid down cutting by the stream due to neotectonic activity affect the stability of the slope. The fragile lithology and deep V-shaped valley further accelerate the mass movement in the study area. In addition, rock mass rating (RMR), factor of safety (FOS) and graphical analysis of the joints indicate the study area as landslide-prone zone. This study will be helpful in not only reducing the risk on life of people, but also in assisting the ongoing civil work in the study area.

Study of hydro-chemical characteristics of Lake Nainital in response of human interventions, and impact of twentieth century climate change

In the recent past, lake water is greatly deteriorated due to the global climate change and anthropogenic activities because they affect both quantity and quality of the available water. Lakes in mountainous regions are generally small, and therefore more sensitive to natural/human-induced perturbations. In this study, the effect of twentieth century global climate change and human interventions was analysed for Lake Nainital, located in a densely populated valley of Kumaun Himalaya. For this purpose, gridded (0.50 × 0.50 and 0.250 × 0.250) climatic (TMean, TMax, TMin, DTR and rainfall) data of period 1901–2000 available on monthly time steps were employed for detecting an annual and seasonal pattern of change in the climatic variables in the lake region. The samples of water collected between February 1994 and July 1996 for different months from the lake were used for determining the physical and chemical characteristics of the lake water. The samples were analysed for: field parameters (temperature, pH, EC), major ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3−, SO42− and Cl−), and nutrients (NO3− and PO4−). Results derived from the chemical analysis of water reveal that anthropogenic activities, increased in recent past, have accelerated the deterioration and eutrophication processes of the lake. However, decrease in mean annual and monsoonal rainfall will affect the various components of water balance and may cause reduction in the lake volume in the future.

Taxonomic notes onAllomyces neomoniliformis(Blastocladiaceae) isolated from Nanital lake, Uttarakhand, India

Taxonomic notes on Allomyces neomoniliformis (Blastocladiaceae) isolated from Nanital lake, Uttarakhand, India During a survey of zoosporic fungi in the Nainital lake in 2014, a species of Allomyces was recorded. It was found in the lake soil which was rich in organic matter (leaves, roots and twigs) by using snake skin as a substrate through baiting technique. This specimen was distinctly different in having different life cycle involving cyst formation and its subsequent reduction divisions. The resistant sporangia zoospores were markedly smaller and characteristically biflagellate rather than uniflagellate as reported in other species of Allomyces. After comparison with type material and a survey of the literature, this species was identified as Allomyces neomoniliformis, known and documented only from one collection in the past from India but with no proper description. A complete morphological description, a description of the holotype, cystogenes type of life cycle, illustrations, and photographs are presented in this study. Thus, results have increased our knowledge of the occurrence and distribution of the Allomyces in India, complementing with the previous studies.....