27-Preliminary Assessment of Trophic Status of Lake Pichhola,Udaipur (Rajasthan)

Abstract

Lakes need to be conserved and managed properly because of their great socio-economic significance. Eutrophication, which denotes nutrient and productivity status of lakes, is one of the serious problems of most lakes. Cultural eutrophication is caused due to human interference in the lake catchments. It has significant negative biological, health, social and economic impacts on man's use of lake water. Control and management of eutrophication need proper understanding of the problem. However, where information available does not permit scientific investigations of the problem, trophic status indices prove a useful management aid to assess the extent of eutrophication. A number of univariate and multivariate indices have been developed for the purpose. Lake Pichhola in Udaipur (Rajasthan), whin is a very significant lake of the region is suffering from eutrophication as evident from the symptoms. The present investigation has been undertaken on this lake with the objective to assess the trophic status and suitability of the lake for various purposes. Availability of the data permits only the preliminary assessment of the trophic status based on various existing indices. The various indices indicate the hypertrophic status of the lake as well as the unsuitability of the lake for various uses. The study concludes that comprehensive management plan needs to be undertaken for the lake to save it from untimely extinction.