Assessment of Water Quality Index (WQI) for Drinking Purposes in Case of Baitarani River in Odisha in the Light of National Sanitation (NSF) Standards

Water quality of the river Baitarani, the third largest river of Odisha is evaluated by WQI technique. The study on water quality provides a single number indicating the quality of water at a particular location and time depending on several water quality parameters. There are several ways to evaluate the quality of water suitable for its portability. WQI expressing its quality in terms of index number provides a useful guidance on overall quality of water for the specific purpose. Nine numbers of parameters were chosen for the calculation of WQI following Indian standard drinking water specification IS10502012. The present investigation is aimed at assessing the current water quality standard along the Baitarani river in Odisha. This technique is very useful tool for quick assessment of any water system. Nine parameters namely pH, change in temperature, DO, BOD, Turbidity, Total Phosphorus, Nitrate Nitrogen, E. Coliform, Faecal Coliform were considered to compute Water Quality Index (WQI) based on National Sanitation Foundation studies. On the whole these indices are effective indicators of water quality at different places of the river to generate public awareness and better sanitation.