CS(AR)-32/96-97 : Water quality study of the Mansar lake, District Udhampur, J&K

Abstract

Mansar lake has been recently developed as famous tourist place in the Jammu region. Fastly, increasing population around the lake has caused deterioration of its water quality. Therefore, water quality study of the lake has been carried out. The water samples from different locations at the surface and from three zone (viz. epilimnion, metalimnion and hypolimnion) were collected during May 96, October 96 and January 1997. The physico-chemical analyses have been carried out of these collected samples.

pH value of lake water was found to vary from 7.8 to 8.2 with the maximum at the surface and minimum at the bottom in the lake. In different months, temperature varies with depth. It clearly shows that during winter particularly in January and February lake water become mixed and remains stratified during rainy and summer months.

Calcium, Sodium and Magnesium are dominant cation, and bicarbonate is dominant anion. Presence of cations in the lake water observed as Calcium > Sodium > Magnesium > Potassium and anions as Bicarbonate > Chloride > Sulphate > Nitrate > Phosphate. However, the concentration of these cations are well below the prescribed limit for class A drinking water. The concentration of phosphate was observed to be more than 0.03 mg/l. which is the characteristic of eutrophic lake. Trace elements concentration are also below the prescribed limit.

The physico-chemical analyses reveal that lake water is good for drinking and irrigation purposes. The phosphate concentration indicates that lake is in eutrophic stage.