A Study on the Impact of Short Term Climatic  Fluctuations and Human Activities on Water  Quality of River Yamuna in Agra

C N Tripathi; Anjali Gautam

Volume : II, Issue : V, May - 2013

A Study on the Impact of Short Term Climatic Fluctuations and Human Activities on Water Quality of River Yamuna in Agra

C N Tripathi, Anjali Gautam

Abstract :

This study attempt to understand the impact of both human activities and short term climatic fluctuations on water quality of river Yamuna at four sites in Agra. First two sampling sites were taken 400 meter apart from each other near the point where river enters into Agra. Similarly remaining two sampling sites were taken 400 meter apart from each other near the point where river exits the Agra. Composite river water sample were collected from all the sampling locations on three dates i.e. on 1st March 2010, on 10th march2010 and on 30th March 2010 respectively. Water quality parameters such as Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of the collected samples were monitored. Average values of temperature for 10 days and cumulative rainfall for all the days before the sampling date were calculated. Dissolved Oxygen (DO) was observed to be increasing from site 1 to site 4 on all three dates of sampling. Temporally DO was increasing from 1st March 2010 to 30th March 2010 at site 1. At all other site DO is increasing from 1st March 2010 to 10th March 2010 and then decreases from 10th March 2010 to 30th March 2010. Possible reason of these variations at site 2, site 3 and site 4 is that temperature has increased during the period from 1st sampling to second sampling which reduces the DO but simultaneously the impact of rainfall has been to dilute the pollutant thus leading to increase in DO after compensating for decrease in DO from 1st March 2010 to 10th March 2010. However during 10th March to 30th March 2010 temperature increase has been much more pronounced (more than 70c) as compared to previous duration therefore net result is decrease in DO insepite of some more rain added to the rain of previous duration. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is observed to be decreasing from site 1 to site 4 on all three dates of sampling except on 30th march when BOD at site 2 is slightly more than that site 1. It may be due to some short term discharge or other human activities at site 2 during the period from 11th march 2010 to 30th March 2010. There is not much variation in TDS temporally at each site except at sit 2 where TDS is significantly more as compared to that on 1st and 10th march respectively. This may be due to some impurities added due to runoff because of additional rain during this period.