ISOTOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF UPPER GANGA CANAL WATER FROM HARIDWAR TO MUZAFFARNAGAR, INDIA

Abstract

The study region comprises of the upper Ganga canal, which originates from Ganga River at 1-laridwar and were the study was conducted till the reaches of the canal in Muzaffarnagar. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition ( 180 and ED), major ion concentrations and other physical variables (e.g., water Temperature and Electrical Conductivity) are being monitored to understand the evapOrative process of running canal water. The canal can provide excellent opportunity to understand the interaction/ exchange of isotopes between surface water and • atmosphere. The water samples will be collected from the middle part of the Ganga canal at interval of 5 Km. The isotopic analysis have been done with the help of standard equilibrium method followed by Mass Spectrometric measurement. The samples were run in the Continuous flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer at the National Institute of Hydrology at Roorkee for obtaining the 6180 values. Values were obtained using the Ion Vontage software. The Electrical conductivity is found to be the maximum for Groundwater samples, a little lower for tributaries and the least for the Narmada mainstream. The discharge of the Narmada mainstream is found to increase as we move downstream from Haridwar to Muzaffarnagar. During JLIly'2014 i.e. just before the beginning of monsoon, the discharge of the canal had significantly gone down. This lead to an increase in the Electrical conductivity values as well as IsO values for samples of the second field trip. The evaporation in certain regions is very high and the lighter isotope evaporates enriching the p water body in the heavier isotope (Fig 11).