Characterization Of Abiotic Status Of Lake Mansar At Surinsar- Mansar Ramsar Site In The NW Himalayas

Abstract Lake Mansar is a cherished tourist destination due to which many business outlets have been established along its bank. A greater portion of its catchment area has been converted into agricultural and residential purposes due to which silt and soil eroded form the catchment area is washed into the lake. Consequently the lake has been reduced to a mere sink for domestic as well municipal sewage detergents soaps faecal matter cow dung agricultural run-off from the fields in the catchment area and nutrients from the cremation ground and deer park located along the bank of the lake. To further aggravate the problem of the lake Department of Public Health and Hygiene is abstracting 3 lac gallons of water a day from the water body to supply potable water to 20 thousand people. Subsequently the present study revealed that lake water remains hard all throughout the year with BOD values fluctuating from clean to fairly clean category and hardness values varying from moderately hard to hard water body total phosphates varying its trophic status from mesoeutrophic to hypereutrophic and values of Nitrate Nitrogen placing it in eutrophic category.