WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT OF GODAVARI RIVER IN NASIK CITY

Abstract

The Godavari River is a second largest river in India and originates from Trimbakeswar, Nasik Maharashtra and passes through the Nasik city. It adds an aesthetic value for the beautification of Nasik city. The study covers about 65 km stretch of river starting from Kushawart Trimbakeswar to Saikheda Village, from where the river enters the city. For convenience of study, a reference point is assumed as Origin of the river. The river water is used for washing clothes, bathing and other uses. Ten sampling stations were selected for collection of water sample from river Godavari. The collected water samples were analyzed in Environmental Laboratory of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and Om Laboratories for various water quality parameters. The observed values of various water quality parameters were discussed and compared with the prevailing standards, corresponding to use of the water body. The analytical results have shown that the river is grossly polluted with high BOD. The DO decreases gradually as soon as the river enters the city. Moreover, the water body is highly polluted with faecal coliform, which indicates the discharge of untreated domestic sewage into it. The water of the Godavari River collected at the various sampling stations from the different point sources has been analyzed for the physico-chemical parameters and bacteriological parameters such as total coliform and faecal coliform. The water quality has been evaluated as per standard methods. The comparison of the water quality of the river reflects the extent of pollution at respective sampling stations and different point sources which help to plan necessary measures to combat pollution of the river. The NSFWQI online software has been used to evaluate the water quality of the Godavari River. The NSFWQI is mostly used in the USA and also applicable to the Indian water environment. The trends have indicated that in the study stretch of river, the vast variations in all the parameters were found perhaps due to the addition of various pollutants at various locations. Gangapur Dam is found as the second sampling station where river is almost pollution free and Tapowan or downstream of the Nasik is the eighth sampling station up to where it receives maximum pollution from the city.