19-Water Quality and Pollution Aspects of Hindon River System

Abstract

The water quality of the Hindon river system has been examined with reference to different waste effluents discharged into the river. The quality of river water at the upstream site is quite satisfactory, the dissolved oxygen content being 7-9 mg/L. However the quality of the river deteriorates sharply due to mixing of wastewater and effluent from Nagdev nala, Star Paper Mill and Cooperative distillery. The effluent of pulp and paper mill and distillery added high concentration of organic matter to the river, which is responsible for the decrease in dissolved oxygen and increase in BOD, COD and TDS alongwith other factors. In the lower stretch, degradation of water quality is observed due to the discharge of wastewater from Budhana drain, Kali river and Krishni river. However, the water quality in this stretch is mainly controlled by the release of water from Upper Ganga Canal through Khatauli and Jani escapes. There is a strong seasonal pattern for various water quality constituents in the river water with elevated concentrations during summer and lower concentrations during monsoon periods. Almost all the constituents follow the same temporal patterns except dissolved oxygen, which shows reverse pattern. The interrelationship between river discharge and hydrochemistry provides a useful means for examining hydrological processes in a river system. In general, the relationships are curvilinear and a decrease in various water quality constituents is observed with increasing discharge. The river system is highly influenced due to heavy metals also, which enter the river Hindon by direct discharges of industrial and urban effluents and surface runoff. The status of pollution of river Hindon with respect to different heavy metals has been examined and mass balance approach has been used to differentiate between point and non-point sources of pollution.