WATER QUALITY STUDIES OF . RIVER DAMODAR

Abstract

The increasing dependence of inland water bodies has focussed the attention of the people at all levels - regional, national and international. Human intervention with the nature has created a situation, where the very survival of the human being, including fauna and flora, has been endangered. In India, during the last decade the conservation of natural resource along with the ecological balance has been accorded the national importance and must talked Ganga Action Plan (GAP) was launched. River Damodar, once sorrow of Bengal, is now one of the most ecologically endangered river of the country. Damodar basin is one of the richest mineral resource belt of the country. Since Independence' its basin has seen massive industrialization -coal-mining steel industries, fertilizers & chemicals, thermal power plants, washeriess, coking- plants, paper mills etc. The survey done by CPCB, N.Delhi, reports that out of those more than 200 industries, only 43 are significantly affecting the quality of water out of these 24 lies in Briar and remaining in W.B. Waste water generated from the above industries *indicates that out of total waste water (2664111 m3 /d) joining the river, thermal power plants alone contributes 79.13% (2108203 kg/m3). Total BOD load of the river is 44486 kg/d out of which lion's share goes to steel industries (32.5%). Again steel industries contribute 76.6% (1768.32 kg/d) of total toxic load of 2306 kg/d. On the domestic sector the big cities to small townships 40 in number are contributing the pollution load to the river Durgapur contributes the largest amount of waste water - 17500 K/D with BOD 15875 kg/d.