J. Env. Bio-Sci., 2014: Vol.

28 (2): 333-335 ISSN 0973-6913 (Print), ISSN 0976-3384 (On Line)

PHYSICO-CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RAMGANGA RIVER WITH SPECIAL

REFERENCE TO POLLUTION STATUS AT MORADABAD AND KALAGARH:
A COMPARATIVE STUDY
Shweta Rani and Pramod Kumar
Department of Zoology, R.H.G.(P.G.) College, Kashipur Udham Singh Nagar-244713
e-mail: shwetaschoolar@gmail.com

Received: 25-08-2014 Accepted: 25-11-2014

The present study is focused on impact of effluents discharged through industrial wastes and sewage on water quality ofRamganga
River. Some selected physico-chemical parameters viz.temperature, pH, transparency dissolved oxygen, bio-chemical oxygen
demand, total dissolved solids and velocity were monitored. It was found that all the parameters were degraded at Site B (Moradabad)
as compared to the Site-A Kalagarh. An attempt has therefore been made to study the magnitudes of pollution because it was
observed that the sewage disposal and large number of industries dump their waist directly into the water of river Ramganga at
Moradabad.

Human activities have continuously disturbed natural MATERIALS AND METHODS

environment particularly aquatic ecosystem. The use of
chemicals and heavy metals lead to widespread environmental
contamination.The rapid urbanizationand industrialization
creating a serious pollution in India 1-2.The large scale
urbangrowth due to increase in population or migration of people
from rural areas to urban areas has increaseddomestic effluents
while industrial development manifested either due to setting
up of new industries on expansion of the existing industrial
establishments resulting of generation copious volume of
industrialeffluents. Unplanned and injudicious disposal of
municipalwaste are causing pollution of water bodies. The
industries are also falling in the same line by not following
regulation of establishing the effluent treatment plants3-4.
Our study revealed that water quality of Ramganga River is
graded as severely polluted category which not fit for human
consumption and recreation, but can be used for irrigation or
for fish culture. An analysis of the present situation has brought
to light that industrialization and urbanization, particularly in
the developing countries has been creating more stress on
the natural resources due to over exploitation and associated
depletion of plant and animal wealth. Moradabad is known as
"Peetal Nagri" as it is famous for brassware industries and
comprising of four million populations. Therefore this work taken
in accountn to access the impact of urban and industrial
activities or the water quality of Ramganga River at Moradabad
and Kalagarh.
River Ramganga is spring fed river and one of the most important
tributary of National river Ganga, originated in the southern
slopes at Dudhatoli (3,110 masl) of middle Himalaya of
Uttrakhand state. The river enters the plains at Kalagarh where
a famous hydroelectric dam has been constructed in 1975.The
river traverses near about 158 km before it meets the reservoir
and continuous to downstream for about 322 km before joining
river Ganga at Kannauj of Uttar Pradesh. The total catchment
area of the basin is 32,493 km 2.Two different sampling
locations, one in Moradabad and other in Kalagarh were
selected for the collection of water samples and analyze
physico- chemicalcharacteristics of Ramganga river water from
April 2013 to March 2014.The selected physico-chemical
parameters viz.temperature, pH, transparency, velocity, total
dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen
demand were analyzed. All the selected physico-chemical
parameters were analyzed with the help of Standard analytical
methods5-6.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Results of the present study represented in Table-1 and Table-2
and also describedand discussed below.
The temperature was ranged between16.40C to 26.50C in
Kalagarh and 20.4oC to 38.6oC in Moradabad in the month of
January and June; respectively the highest and lowest values
 Physico-chemical Characteristics of Ramganga River (334)

Table-1. Showing Physico-chemical parameters in Ramganga River at Kalagarh during

April 2013 to March 2014

Table-2. Showing Physico-chemical parameters in Ramganga River at Moradabad during

April 2013 to March
M o n th s Te m p e r a t u r e pH V e lo c ity Tr a n s p a r e n c y DO TDS BOD
o (m g /l)
( C) (m / s e c ) (c m ) (m g /l) (m g /l)
A p r il 2 7 .0 5 8 .2 0 .2 0 0 4 .9 2 4 .8 310 6 .8 2
M ay 3 2 .6 8 .8 0 .3 1 4 .0 6 4 .1 230 7 .1 0
June 2 9 .5 8 .1 0 .4 2 4 .0 1 2 .0 430 9 .4 0
J u ly 2 8 .7 4 7 .3 0 .5 1 2 .1 2 .3 432 8 .4 0
Aug 2 7 .1 5 6 .9 0 .5 6 3 .0 2 .5 428 5 .0 0
S ept 2 6 .1 7 .0 0 .4 2 3 .8 2 .1 306 4 .5 1
Oct 28 6 .9 0 .3 6 3 .6 2 2 .7 330 3 .7 0
Nov 2 6 .3 8 .1 0 .4 1 3 .9 4 .4 290 2 .8 1
Dec 2 2 .8 7 7 .4 3 0 .3 2 4 .4 5 .9 260 2 .0 3
Jan 2 0 .0 4 8 .0 0 .2 6 4 .2 6 .2 232 2 .0 0
Feb 2 4 .2 8 .2 0 .2 0 4 .8 4 6 .0 210 3 .6 0
M arch 2 8 .1 7 .4 0 .2 1 4 .9 0 5 .2 278 3 .7 8
A v e ra g e 2 6 .7 2 7 .6 9 0 .3 4 3 .9 4 .0 1 3 11 . 3 3 3 4 .9 2
S .D (± ) ± 3 .2 5 ± 0 .6 1 ± 0 .11 ± 0 .8 1 ± 1 .6 2 ± 7 9 .9 9 ± 2 .4 6

Fig.1 showing comparative physicochemical variation between two

selected site in Ramganaga River.
(335) Rani and Kumar

were recorded. Similar work including on the physico-chemical
properties of river Ganga water at Kalakankar (Pratapgarh)
and pointed out that the water quality is degrading due to the
anthropogenic activities7. Environmental contamination and
other anthropogenic impacts on two rivers and pointed out
that the water pollution of river is certainly due to the agriculture
land use, human activities and industrialization 8.The
transparency of any water sample is the reduction of
transparency due to the presence of particulate matter such
as lay or slit, finely divided organic matter, plankton and other
microscopic organisms. In the present study, the range of
transparency for Kalagarh was 19.6cm to 62.4cm and for
Moradabad it is 2.04cm to7.61cm.Similarly Researchershave
studied the status pollution in Ganga River and observed that
sewage effluent is responsible for degradation of water quality
in Ganga River within Haridwar city9. Transparency generally
low in monsoon season and higher in the winter season at all
study sites.In this study it was observed that he main source
impact of industrial effluent, sewage discharges, chemical
discharges, domestic wastes and other anthropogenic
activities on the physico-chemical properties of water. In the
present study it was found that dissolved oxygen was higher
in winter season as compared to summer and monsoon
season. A similar result was found by other researchers studied
on Ganga River10,11-12.BOD determination is still the best
available single test for assessing organic pollution. BOD value
is indication for entry of organic waste in the river and showed
that high values are indication of organic pollution.
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