IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS’ EFFLUENT DISCHARGE ON THE QUALITY OF GANGA RIVER AT HARIDWAR, UTTARAKHAND

Abstract

Quality of river water is of utmost important as it directly affects the life of living organism including human beings. Due to increased urbanisation and industrialisation, the generation of wastewater is increased. About half of the wastewater is continuously released in partially treated or in untreated form in the fresh water bodies. Keeping this in mind the present study was undertaken to study the impacts of STP effluent on the Ganga river in Haridwar city. The wastewater and Ganga water samples were collected and analysed for temperature, pH, total solids (TS), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), DO, BOD, COD and alkalinity estimation. All the parameters of wastewater and Ganga river water was found below the standard limits except the solid concentration (TS greater than 1300mg/l and TDS greater than 900mg/l). Due to excess amounts of total solids and very low amount of dissolved oxygen, the quality of Ganga river water after confluence zone was slightly disturbed.