Water Quality Assessment of the Ghagra River ...

Water Quality Assessment of the Ghagra River during COVID-19 lockdown

Author Name : Zaheen Hasan, D. D. Tewari

ABSTRACT

Water quality of the River Ghaghara has been examined in special reference to seven heavy metals namely cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) with comparative analysis ,. Samples were collected from three sites before and during Covid 19 from following  sites Katernia ghat, Colonelganj and Ayodhya. In the water of the river maximum value of Co, Cu,Cr, Ni, Cd, Zn, Pb and was recorded as 0.027, 0.032, 0.007, 0.018, 0.043, 0.031and 0.019 mg/l respectively whereas the minimum value was recorded 0.005, 0.016, 0.001,0.005, 0.003, 0.013, 0.005 mg/l respectively at different sites. Most of the above values were found either below or closed the permissible limit set by World Health Organization (WHO) except Cd. Cadmium concentration exceeded the WHO limit. Cd contamination in the river water of this area is a serious concern for human health. Correlation analysis among all considered heavy metals shows positive correlation with each other in both the years. The data generated may provide useful information to Governmental agencies to control the heavy metal pollution of the river at these urban centers which may even be worst in future scenario. The present experimental data indicates that the pollution level along the river Ghaghara is not very high but the increasing population load in the basin may cause irreparable ecological harm in the long-term well masked by short term economic prosperity.

Keywords: Ghaghara River water. Environmental pollution, heavy metals contamination, water quality index, Covid pandemic, lockdown