A Study on Analysis of Water Quality of Two Rivers Ganges and Yamuna

Abstract

Water is very essential for life existence. About 71% of earth’s surface is occupied by water making it a blue planet. The 97% of the ocean water can’t be used as it has high salt concentration, some is frozen in glaciers/ polar ice caps. Even the distribution of water on earth is uneven at some places there is flood and others drought. Human activities have interfered in the natural renewal of groundwater resulting in water shortage and availability for consumption. The degradable and nonbiodegradable wastes which are discharged openly in water bodies pose severe threat to aquatic life. The article presents a study on on quarterly changes in water parameters including temperature, transparency, dissolved oxygen, pH, free carbon dioxide, alkalinity, conductance, total dissolved solids, hardness, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, dissolved organic matter, BOD in the water of river Ganges and Yamuna. The results showed rising trend in the levels of these parameters over the years. The results show increase in levels of CO2 , hardness, total dissolved solid, pH and BOD during the months of April to September. The levels of nitrate and phosphate were detected in trace amounts. The chloride level of Yamuna was high as compared to that of Ganges. The drop in alkalinity during monsoon months may be due to increased dilution and disappearance of CO2 . The studies made in water of river Ganges and Yamuna has shown that the river is under severe threat of pollution due to the discharge of untreated or semi treated sewage and industrial effluents.