A Study of Human Activities with Type and Disposal of Wastes: Appraisal of Organic Load on Wainganganga River Water in District Bhandara (M.S.) India

Present study deals with the appraisal of water quality of Wainganga river, polluting due by organic wastes by localities. At station S-2 and S-3 increased biodegradable organic material, from sewage, decaying cow dung from farming in river basin, is responsible for increased values of BOD. Subsequently, the domestic activities performed at station S-3 and S-4, and discharge of temple wastes and cremation wastes at station S-4, contributes the most of biodegradable organic matter in the river. Hence, the increasing load of pollutants at downstream station has resulted in to higher values of BOD. Agrawal and Kannan, (1996). It is evident that the values of BOD in a river were minimum at all stations, during winter. This may be due to relatively more flow of river, which offers dilution to the pollutants. However, the increasing trend of values toward downstream is attributed to increasing the pollutant discharge in river stream at station S-2, S-3 and S-4. However the reduction of microbial activities in less temperature of water causes the decrease in values of BOD in river water. The Watermelon fields in the river basin covers the area around station S-2 and S-3. The mixing of decaying cow dung in stream increase the organic pollution. It is evident from data that, the lower concentrations of DO at sampling station S-4 in summer. This is due to many sources of pollutants that contaminate the river water at this station. Higher concentration of organic matter and increased rate of decomposition due to more temperature of river water during summer may be responsible to depletion of DO levels at down stream stations S-2, S-3 and S-4. However at station S-4, the discharge of crematory ashes forms the turbidity in river water and restricts the light to penetrate inside the water, which intern lowers the oxygen output from aquatic flora.