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Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Variation of Water Quality in Mid Hills of North West Himalayas- A Water Quality Index Approach

Ajay Kumar Singh1 * and Satish Kumar Bhardwaj1

1 Environmental Science, Nauni, YSPUHF, Solan, 173230 Himachal Pradesh India

Corresponding author Email: ajaysingh7279@gmail.com

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.14.1.06

Today, the quality of drinking water across the globe has become an environmental concern because of its degradation due to urbanization, industrialization, transportation etc. Solan, a rapidly developing district and an industrial hub, in the recent past has faced water borne diarrhoeal disease outbreaks. Therefore, the study was undertaken to assess the water quality of disease burden regions during monsoon and post monsoon seasons. pH of the water sources was in the range of 6.92- 7.43 and was well within normal limits. Electrical conductivity of water ranged from 151.40- 414.65 µS/cm. The water sources of high disease burden regions exhibited higher EC than the prescribed ICMR standards. DO (range 7.43- 8.56 mg/l) was normal in all disease burden regions. BOD (range 12.25- 23.25 mg/l) was higher than the BIS limits in all regions. The COD, TDS and turbidity (range 75.75- 157.50 mg/l, 2.24- 81.01 mg/l and 1.85- 5.05 NTU respectively) were within BIS limits. The concentrations (mg/l) of Ca, Pb, Hg, Zn and Cr was found in the ranges of 37.2- 122.9, 0.17- 0.51, 0.00- 0.03, 0.74- 8.99 and 0.04- 0.10, respectively. The high disease burden regions exhibited relatively higher contents of Ca, Hg and Cr as compared to lower one and the BIS limits. However, contents of Pb and Zn were above BIS limits in all the regions. The concentration (mg/l) of Mg, NO3-, Cl- and As was in the ranges of 14.25- 30.61, 5.10- 9.88, 16.42- 74.96 , 0.001- 0.014 respectively, which were below prescribed standards. Cd was detected (0.001 mg/l) in Solan region only, however it was within BIS limits. Water Quality Index (WQI) computed by using nine parameters varied from 78.58- 219.78 (very poor to unsafe drinking water class). Interestingly, water sources of all the high disease burden regions were unsafe for drinking (WQI: 102.02- 167.04). Water quality deteriorated more in the monsoons. The study therefore warrants remedial actions of water resource protection and conservation for provision of potable water.

Disease Burden Region; Monitoring; Parameters; Potable; Significance; Standards; Water Quality Index

Copy the following to cite this article:

Singh A. K, Bhardwaj S. K. Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Variation of Water Quality in Mid Hills of North West Himalayas- A Water Quality Index Approach. Curr World Environ 2019;14(1). DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CWE.14.1.06

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Singh A. K, Bhardwaj S. K. Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Variation of Water Quality in Mid Hills of North West Himalayas- A Water Quality Index Approach. Curr World Environ 2019;14(1). Available from: https://bit.ly/2VJuHKZ

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