VARIATION IN WATER QUALITY INDEX (WQI) BY THE EFFECTS OF IDOL IMMERSION ON THE WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS OF DULAHRA POND IN RATANPUR IN CHHATTISGARH

The present work aims at analysing the water quality index (WQI) in the Dulahra pond water situated in Ratanpur city in Bilaspur District in Chhattisgarh by monitoring four direction [north, west, east south ]in sampling locations around the Dulahra pond for a period of 3 months from September to November-2018. For calculating the WQI, 14 parameters, namely, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, Total suspended, Total Hardness Alkalinity, Dissolved oxygen, BOD, COD. Nitrates fluoride and transparency were analysed. It is apparent from WQI values that Dulahra pond water with WQI values ranging from 62.28 to 69.84(pre-immersion period), 58.27to 64.16(immersion period) and 38.27to 44.16 (post-immersion period falls under simply good to poor water category. It was observed that the values of physicochemical parameters decrease in the pre-immersion and immersion period, and significantly increased during the immersion period for pH, total dissolved solids, Total Hardness, Alkalinity, COD , Nitrates however the general trend observed was: Immersion > Post immersion > Pre-immersion values. The present work showed maximum values found during Post immersion period for EC,BOD, Chloride, fluoride Sulphate,. (Post immersion > immersion > Pre-immersion values ) The present study revealed that Dulahrapond water is polluted due to immersion of idols of God and Goddess during festival season ,human activity ,surface run-off, bathing activities, agriculture run-off, effluents from upstream from surrounding industrial and garden area, immersion of idols of God and Goddess during festival season, and is unsuitable for human consumption, industrial purpose also for the survival of life forms unless treated properly. The low value of DO and BOD and Total Solids levels at different sites indicate the poor water quality due to idol immersion.