Evaluation of water quality of River Malin using water quality index (WQI) at Najibabad, Bijnor (UP) India

Abstract

Malin river originates from the Kotdwara and merges with Ganga at RavalliGhat in Bijnor. It is an important river of city Najibabad Distt-Bijnor (U.P) because it is the main source of irrigation for agriculture in the most areas of city Najibabad. At some places cloth washing and vegetable washing is the main activity on the Malin River bank. Four sampling sites were established for the collection of water samples during July, 2015 to June, 2016 but in the present study average of all the values of all the four sites was given. Monitoring of water of River Malin includes physico-chemical parameters like temperature, turbidity, total solids, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, pH, total hardness, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, total alkalinity, chloride, acidity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand. TDS, total hardness, calcium hardness and magnesium hardness was found beyond the limit at all the four sampling sites and rest all the parameters were found within the limit. The average values of TDS, BOD, COD and TH were observed 635.1 mg/l±55.31, 12.1±0.54, 35.2±1.01, 341.0±1.84. Further water quality of river Malin has been assessed using water quality index and the quality of river Malin was observed to be bad at all site which may be attributed to untreated and/or partially treated waste inputs of municipal and industrial effluents joining the river.

Full text

191
Environment Conservation Journal
Evaluation of water quality of River Malin using water quality index (WQI)
at Najibabad, Bijnor (UP) India
Bhutiani R., Ahamad Faheem Tyagi Varun and Ram Khushi
Received: 25.11.2017 Revised: 28.01.2018 Accepted: 14.02.2018
Abstract
Malin river originates from the Kotdwara and merges with Ganga at RavalliGhat in Bijnor. It is an important river of
city Najibabad Distt- Bijnor (U.P) because it is the main source of irrigation for agriculture in the most areas of city
Najibabad. At some places cloth washing and vegetable washing is the main activity on the Malin River bank. Four
sampling sites were established for the collection of water samples during July, 2015 to June, 2016 but in the present
study average of all the values of all the four sites was given. Monitoring of water of River Malin includes physico-
chemical parameters like temperature, turbidity, total solids, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, pH, total
hardness, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, total alkalinity, chloride, acidity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen
demand and chemical oxygen demand. TDS, total hardness, calcium hardness and magnesium hardness was found
beyond the limit at all the four sampling sites and rest all the parameters were found within the limit. The average values
of TDS, BOD, COD and TH were observed 635.1 mg/l±55.31, 12.1±0.54, 35.2±1.01, 341.0±1.84. Further water quality of
river Malin has been assessed using water quality index and the quality of river Malin was observed to be bad at all site
which may be attributed to untreated and/or partially treated waste inputs of municipal and industrial effluents joining
the river.
Key words: Malin River, Non-perennial, RavalliGhat, WQI,
Introduction
Rivers form the lifeline of human society and play
an important role in the development of Nation and
sustenance of life, which are being polluted due to
rapid industrialization, urbanization and other
developmental activities (Mandal et al., 2012;
Aalam and Pathak 2010; Mandal and Das 2011).
These are vital freshwater systems of strategic
importance across the world, providing main water
resources for domestic, industrial, agricultural and
recreational purposes. Most of the agriculture area
in India receives its water from surface sources like
river, reservoir, dam etc. River may be perennial as
well as non-perennial. In perennial rivers water
flows for all the seasons because such rivers are
snow fed. The non-perennial rivers get dried in
summer either partially or completely and in
monsoon, they are flooded with water. Generally
the quantity of water available from non-perennial
rivers varies throughout the year. It normally
Author’s Address
Limnology and Ecological Modelling Laboratory, Department
of Zoology and Environmental Science, Gurukula Kangri
Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar-249404
E-mail.: faheem.ahamad170390@gmail.com
decreases in summer when demand for water is at
its maximum.The Malin River under study is also a
non- perennial river. Insufficient capacity of waste
water treatment and increasing sewage generation
pose big question of disposal of waste water. This
huge quantity of waste water is directly and after
partial treatment discharged into nearby water
bodies mainly in the rivers. The river under study
was also heavily polluted due to sewage and
industrial discharge (Bhutiani and Ahamad, 2018).
Controlling water pollution is urgent for ecological
sustainability of water resources as well as for
underlying economic reasons and human health.
The availability of good quality water is an
indispensable feature for preventing diseases and
improving quality of life. It is necessary to know
information about different physico-chemical
parameters before it is used for different purposes
(Kolhe and Shinde, 2014). The term water quality
was developed to give an indication of how suitable
the water is for human consumption (Vaux, 2001),
and is widely used in multiple scientific
publications related to the necessities of sustainable
Environment Conservation Journal 19 (1&2) 191-201 , 2018
ISSN 0972-3099 (Print) 2278-5124 (Online)
Abstracted and Indexed
Copyright by ASEA
All rights of reproduction in any form reserved

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Environment Conservation Journal
water management (Parparov et al., 2006).
Therefore a regular monitoring of river water
quality not only prevents outbreak of diseases and
checks water from further deterioration, but also
provides a scope to assess the current investments
for pollution prevention and control (Sudevi and
Lokesh, 2012).
The WQI was first developed by Horton in the
early 1970s. The basic aim of WQI is to give a
single value to the water quality of a source on the
basis of one or the other system which translates the
list of constituents and their concentrations present
in a sample in to a single value (Abbasi and Abbasi,
2012). The index result represents the level of water
quality in a given water basin, such as lake, river or
stream. After Horton a number of workers all over
the world developed WQI based on rating of
different water quality parameters. For the
evaluation of water quality, WQI was applied to the
river water (Singh, 1992; Naik and Purohit, 2001;
Kumar and Dua, 2009; Kumar et al., 2009, Sharma
et al., 2009; Singkran et al., 2010; Gupta et al.,
2012). In the present paper, characteristics of
different point sources contributing Malin river are
discussed and water quality of river Malin is
assessed using water quality index.
Material and Methods
Study area
The present study was performed on Malin river
which is situated in Najibabad district Bijnor Uttar
Pradesh. Najibabad is located at 29.63N, 78.33E; it
has an elevation of 295 meter (1014 feet). Malin
river is the principal source of water for agriculture
and other activities. This river is formed by joining
of many mountain springs in Garhwal region. It is
non-perennial river, get partially dried in summer
and it is flooded with water in monsoon. Thus the
quantity of water available from river varies
throughout the year. It normally decreases in
summer when the demand for water is on peak.
Malin River covers about 140-150km with a
catchment area of about 400 km2 through 3 district
named Pauri Garhwal, Kotdwara and Bijnor. Malin
River merges in the Ganga River at the RavalliGhat
in the Bijnor city. The main activities responsible
for Malin river water pollution are runoff from
agricultural fields, domestic waste form the city and
villages situated on the bank of river and effluent
from Kishan Sahkari Sugar mill. All the sampling
sites were shown in figure 1.
SN
Sampling Site
Co-ordinates
1
Malin River near
Shahpur village- (Fig-2)
29.62N,
78.33E
2
Malin River near
Basantimata palace-
(Fig-3)
29.61N,
78.33E
3
Malin River near
Alipura village- (Fig-4)
29.61N,
78.31E
4
Malin River near
Kalheri village- (Fig-5)
29.61N,
78.29E
Figure 1. Showing Malin River and all the four sampling sites
Bhutiani et al.,

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Environment Conservation Journal
Analysis of water was performed according to
standard methods as prescribed by APHA (1998),
Trivedy and Goel (1986) and Khanna and Bhutiani
(2011) for the examination of the water and waste
water. In the present study the samples were
collected three times in a month in morning hours
(7 am-10 am) from July 2015 to June 2016 from
Malin River Najibabad Distt Bijnor (UP). Grab
water samples from sites were collected in plastic
jerry cans from about 15 cm below the surface
water by keeping and opening Jerri cans below the
surface water. Caps of cans were removed after
dipping the can and also closed in the water after
filling up of can. Care was taken to avoid bubbling
and entry of leaves, twigs or debris into the
sampling bottle. Some of the parameters were
analysed in the field immediately after collection of
samples. Then the water samples were directly
taken to the lab and analysed for various physico-
chemical parameters. Samples were analysed for
following physico-chemical parameters viz.
temperature, turbidity, total solids, total dissolved
solids, total suspended solids, pH, total hardness
(EDTA Titration method), calcium hardness,
magnesium hardness, total alkalinity (by simple
titration method), chloride acidity, dissolved
oxygen (Winkler method), biochemical oxygen
demand (5 days incubation method) and chemical
oxygen demand (by dichromate titration method).
Calculating of Water Quality Index (WQI)
Calculating of water quality index is to turn
complex water quality data into information that is
understandable and useable by the public.
Therefore, water Quality Index (WQI) is a very
useful and efficient method which can provide a
simple indicator of water quality and it is based on
some very important parameters. In current study,
Water Quality Index (WQI) was calculated by
using the Weighted Arithmetic Index method as
described by (Cude, 2001, Brown et al., 1970). In
this model, different water quality components are
multiplied by a weighting factor and are then
aggregated using simple arithmetic mean. For
assessing the quality of water in this study, firstly,
the quality rating scale (Qi) for each parameter was
calculated by using the following equation;
Where,
Qi = Quality rating of ith parameter for a total of n
water quality parameters
 
 
100
observed ideal
standard ideal
VV
VV
Qi x



Vobserved= Actual value of the water quality
parameter obtained from laboratory analysis
Videal= Ideal value of that water quality parameter
can be obtained from the standard Tables.
Videal for pH = 7 and for other parameters it is equal
to zero, but for DO Videal = 14.6 mg/L
Vstandard = Recommended WHO standard of the
water quality parameter.
Then, after calculating the quality rating scale (Qi),
the Relative (unit) weight (Wi) was calculated by a
value inversely proportional to the recommended
standard (Si) for the corresponding parameter using
the following expression;
K
ii
WX

Where,
Wi = Relative (unit) weight for nth parameter
Xi= Standard permissible value for nth parameter
K= Proportionality constant.
That means, the Relative (unit) weight (WI) to
various water Quality parameters are inversely
proportional to the recommended standards for the
corresponding parameters.
Finally, the overall WQI was calculated by
aggregating the quality rating with the unit weight
linearly by using the following equation:
QiWi
WQI Wi


Where,
Qi = Quality rating
Wi = Relative weight
In general, WQI is defined for a specific and
intended use of water. In this study the WQI was
considered for human consumption or uses and the
maximum permissible WQI for the drinking water
was taken as 100 score.
Table 1: Water Quality Index (WQI) and its status
according to Chaterjee and Raziuddin (2002).
Water quality Index
Level
Water Quality Status
0-25
Excellent water quality
26-50
Good water quality
51-75
Poor water quality
76-100
Very poor water quality
>100
Unsuitable for drinking
Evaluation of water quality of River Malin using water quality index

194
Environment Conservation Journal
Results and discussion
The results of various physico-chemical parameters
of River Malin analysed during the study period
(Average results of all the four sites from July 2015
to June 2016) are tabulated in table 2 and 3 and
Graph 1 and 2 while their WQI values are given in
table 4.
Turbidity (NTU): It is an important factor that
controls the energy relationship at different tropic
levels. It is essentially a function of reflection of
light from the surface and is influenced by the
absorption characteristics of both water and of its
dissolved and particulate matter. During the study
period the monthly values of turbidity was ranged
from 22.7 NTU to 83.3NTU.The minimum monthly
average value of turbidity were found 27.2 NTU
±3.53 in the month of June and maximum monthly
average value of turbidity were found 70.1 NTU
±16.32 in the month of August (Table-2 and Graph-
1). Turbidity values are generally found higher in
Monsoon period due to heavy rainfall in mountain
areas of Kotdwara region, the origin Point of Malin
River. The annual values of turbidity were ranged
from 35.7 NTU to 48.9 NTU and annual average
was observed 43.9±15.56. A more or less same
trend was observed by Khanna et al., 2010;
Bhutiani et al., 2015.
Total Solids (mg/l): The solids represent the total
salts and dirts remain after a particular amount of
water sample evaporated. Ecological imbalance in
the aquatic ecosystem was caused by technical
abrasive action of total solids. During the study
period the monthly values of TS was ranged from
808.0 mg/l to 1094.7 mg/l. The minimum monthly
average value of TS were found 864.0 mg/l ±58.07
in the month of May and maximum monthly
average value of TS were found 1074.1 mg/l
±22.31 in the month of August (Table-2 and Graph-
1). TS values are generally found higher in
Monsoon period due to heavy rainfall in
mountainous areas of Kotdwara region, the origin
Point of Malin River. In rainy season when rain fall
occurs the river flows with a high velocity and
caused soil erosion in nearby areas which increase
the total solids in river water. The annual average
values of TS were ranged from 939.3 mg/l to 991.4
mg/l and annual average values were observed
963.1±78.64. A more or less same trend was
observed by Bhutiani and Khanna, 2005.
Total Dissolved Solid (mg/l): Total dissolved
solids (TDS) comprise inorganic salts (principally
calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium,
bicarbonates, chlorides, and sulphates) and some
small amounts of organic matter that
are dissolved in water. It signifies the inorganic
pollution load of water system. During the study
period the monthly values of TDS was ranged from
512.0 mg/l to 746.3 mg/l. The minimum monthly
average value of total dissolved solid were found
561.7 mg/l ±52.32 in the month of May and
maximum monthly average value were observed
714.8 mg/l ±22.12 in the month of August (Table-2
and Graph-1). The annual average values of TDS
were ranged from 623.7 mg/l to 642.1 mg/l and
annual average were observed 635.1 mg/l ±55.31.
A more or less same trend was observed by Khanna
et al., 2014 and Bhutiani et al., 2017.
Total suspended Solids (mg/l): TSS was
previously called non-filterable residue (NFR), but
was changed to TSS because of ambiguity in other
scientific disciplines. During the study period the
monthly values of TSS was ranged from 271.0 mg/l
to 391.7 mg/l. The minimum monthly average
value of total suspended solid were found
297.0±15.68 mg/l in the month of June and
maximum monthly average value were observed
359.3 mg/l ±24.91 in the month of August (Table-
2and Graph-1). The annual average values of TSS
were ranged from 305.4 mg/l to 350.4 mg/l and
annual average were observed 327.9 mg/l ±24.0. A
more or less same trend was observed by Khanna et
al., 2014; Bhutiani et al., 2018..
pH: The increase in pH is associated with
increasing use of alkaline detergents in residual
areas and alkaline material from waste water in
industrial process. During the study period the
monthly values of pH was ranged from 6.2 to 7.6.
The minimum monthly average value of pH was
found 6.9±0.38 in the month of June and maximum
monthly average value was observed 7.3±0.17 in
the month of July (Table-3 and Graph-2). The
decrese in the pH values in summer season was
found due to sugar mill effluent mixing. The annual
average values of pH were ranged from 6.7 to 7.4
and annual average were observed 7.1±0.10. A
more or less same trend was observed by Sharma
and Kansal, 2011; Yadav and Mishra 2014; Shah
and Joshi, 2017 and Bhutiani and Khanna ,2007.
Bhutiani et al.,

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Environment Conservation Journal
Table 2. Monthly average value of different Physical parameter at different sampling sites.
Date/
Parameter
Turbidity
(NTU)
Total
Solid(TS)(mg/l)
Total Dissolved
Solid(TDS)(mg/l)
Total Suspended
Solid(TSS)(mg/l)
July-15
64.5±11.99
(47.7-76)*
1038.3±20.44
(1012.7-1062.7)*
679.3±37.63
(646.0-729.7)*
359.0±24.30
(333.0-391.7)*
August-15
70.1±16.32
(47.3-83.3)*
1074.1±22.31
(1042.7-1094.7)*
714.8±22.12
(696.7-746.3)*
359.3±24.91
(329.3-380.3)*
September-15
61.5±13.55
(45.7-75.7)*
1047.8±30.98
(1011.7-1078.0)*
693.9±38.57
(641.0-733.0)*
354.4±21.25
(335.7-374.7)*
October-15
56.2±9.52
(43.3-66.0)*
1020±19.34
(995.7-1043.0)*
674.8±35.20
(636.7-719.3)*
345.3±17.37
(323.7-359.7)*
November-15
47.7±8.12
(40.3-59.3)*
1019.5±24.95
(990.0-1040.7)*
677.0±30.20
(637.0-700.7)*
342.5±26.50
(307.7-370.3)*
December-15
42.1±5.20
(39.3-47.7)*
997.7±33.23
(971.7-1044.7)*
658.5±20.44
(629.3-675.3)*
338.5±35.68
(299.0-384.7)*
January-16
34.9±6.28
(26.7-37.0)*
947.9±55.66
(875.0-1010.0)*
632.9±29.59
(604.0-670.3)*
315.0±30.78
(271.0-339.7)*
February-16
33.2±8.12
(27.7-45)*
923.7±61.89
(847.7-996.0)*
610.6±33.33
(566.7-637.3)*
313.0±33.58
(281.0-360.3)*
March-16
30.4±6.41
(25.3-39.7)*
889.2±70.69
(817.3-962.7)*
588.5±66.57
(523.3-658.7)*
304.8±19.39
(291.3-333.3)*
April-16
30.7±5.36
(24.7-36.0)*
869.7±64.40
(809.0-935.0)*
565.4±47.33
(516.7-607.3)*
304.3±18.47
(287.0-327.7)*
May-16
28.4±5.45
(22.7-35.3)*
864.0±58.07
(808.0-918.7)*
561.7±52.32
(512.0-609.0)*
302.3±7.99
(296.0-314.0)*
June-16
27.2±3.53
(24.3-32.3)*
865.9±37.23
(835.0-913.7)*
564.4±33.67
(522.3-594.0)*
297.0±15.68
(285.3-319.7)*
Average± SD
43.9±15.56
(35.7-48.9)*
963.1±78.64
(939.3-991.4)*
635.1±55.31
(623.7-642.1)*
327.9±24.07
(305.4-350.4)*
Graph-1. Showing annual variations in different physical parameters of Malin River.
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
Turbidity Total Solid(TS)(mg/l)
Total Dissolved Solid(TDS)(mg/l) Total Suspended Solid(TSS)(mg/l)
Evaluation of water quality of River Malin using water quality ndex

196
Environment Conservation Journal
Table 3. Monthly average value of different chemical parameter at different sampling sites (* Range).
Date/
Parameter
pH
DO
BOD
COD
Alkalinity
Chloride
Total
Hardness
Calcium
Hardness
Magnesium
Hardness
July-15
7.3±0.17
(7.0-7.4)*
7.6±1.25
(6.1-9.1)*
12.4±8.25
(4.8-22.3)*
37.1±23.24
(14.9-63.4)*
121.2±5.10
(116.5-127.0)*
27.3±7.02
(21.7-37.0)*
342.2±6.14
(336.9-348.4)*
116.8±11.66
(109.6-113.6)*
55.0±1.93
(52.3-56.9)*
August-15
7.2±0.27
(6.8-7.4)*
7.3±0.91
(6.2-8.3)*
12.4±8.31
(4.9-22.7)*
34.8±26.48
(5.3-63.4)*
119.7±4.74
(112.6-122.6)*
27.7±5.95
(22.3-35.4)*
343.4±3.24
(340.5-347.9)*
116.7±6.83
(108.7-125.1)*
55.3±0.88
(54.4-56.5)*
September-15
7.1±0.26
(6.7-7.3)*
7.2±1.04
(5.9-8.2)*
12.8±9.26
(4.3-24.5)*
35.9±22.76
(13.1-60.8)*
120.2±3.87
(115.2-124.6)*
26.9±5.22
(22.5-33.4)*
341.4±3.93
(339.2-347.1)*
116.0±7.17
(108.9-124.3)*
55.0±1.34
(53.4-56.2)*
October-15
7.1±0.32
(6.7-7.4)*
7.2±0.85
(6.1-7.9)*
12.5±9.31
(4.1-24.1)*
35.8±24.54
(13.0-62.7)*
120.6±4.00
(115.3-124.8)*
27.0±4.40
(23.2-32.4)*
340.2±2.93
(336.3-343.4)*
116.4±6.34
(110.5-122.6)*
54.7±1.11
(53.6-56.0)*
November-15
7.0±0.46
(6.5-7.6)*
7.4±0.95
(6.4-8.4)*
11.5±7.73
(3.8-19.9)*
36.0±24.59
(11.0-62.6)*
118.9±5.55
(110.9-123.6)*
26.5±4.64
(22.3-32.2)*
341.3±2.14
(339.2-344.3)*
116.0±6.56
(108.8-123.9)*
55.0±1.27
(53.8-56.2)*
December-15
7.0±0.52
(6.4-7.6)*
7.6±0.89
(6.7-8.5)*
12.0±7.69
(3.9-20.7)*
35.9±23.27
(11.6-61.6)*
120.5±4.27
(114.9-125.0)*
27.6±6.04
(22.6-35.9)*
341.5±1.99
(340.5-344.5)*
116.8±7.25
(109.3-125.6)*
54.8±1.41
(53.4-56.4)*
January-16
6.9±0.38
(6.4-7.3)*
8.0±1.09
(6.9-9.4)*
11.7±8.18
(3.8-21.0)*
35.2±25.19
(10.4-62.3)*
119.9±5.13
(112.6-124.5)*
28.6±6.23
(24.3-37.7)*
344.1±5.92
(339.3-351.7)*
117.3±5.63
(110.6-123.8)*
55.8±1.08
(54.2-56.7)*
February-16
7.0±0.54
(6.2-7.4)*
7.9±1.34
(6.7-9.7)*
12.1±9.21
(3.7-23.7)*
34.9±24.95
(11.4-64.1)*
119.3±4.62
(114.6-123.8)*
28.9±5.93
(23.9-37.0)*
338.7±4.46
(332.2-342.3)*
115.3±6.27
(111.8-124.7)*
54.7±2.77
(50.9-56.5)*
March-16
7.1±0.36
(6.8-7.6)*
7.8±1.13
(7.0-9.4)*
12.4±9.37
(4.0-24.7)*
34.5±23.71
(11.6-63.6)*
122.1±5.88
(113.4-126.2)*
28.4±5.38
(24.4-36.0)*
337.8±11.81
(320.8-347.3)*
119.3±7.32
(112.1-129.3)*
53.3±4.40
(46.7-55.6)*
April-16
7.1±0.45
(6.5-7.6)*
7.4±0.78
(6.8-8.5)*
13.0±9.97
(4.1-26.0)*
35.5±22.65
(13.8-61.2)*
121.0±4.15
(117.3-125.6)*
28.9±6.82
(22.9-38.7)*
339.2±10.39
(324.1-346.9)*
114.5±9.08
(106.2-127.0)*
54.8±4.57
(48.1-58.3)*
May-16
7.2±0.36
(6.7-7.5)*
7.5±0.64
(6.9-8.4)*
11.2±9.98
(4.8-19.6)*
33.2±19.75
(13.8-56.1)*
121.8±10.35
(99.1-136.7)*
28.3±6.52
(23.6-37.9)*
341.0±2.49
(338.4-343.9)*
114.0±8.41
(112.4-125.7)*
55.4±1.93
(52.8-57.1)*
June-16
7.0±0.15
(6.9-7.2)*
7.3±0.61
(6.6-8.2)*
11.6±7.50
(4.3-20.6)*
34.3±20.57
(14.6-59.2)*
121.6±10.90
(111.8-136.3)*
28.7±5.46
(24.0-36.5)*
341.6±1.51
(339.5-343.0)*
115.8±5.71
(110.9-123.1)*
55.4±0.81
(54.8-56.3)*
Average± SD
7.1±0.10
(6.7-7.4)*
7.5±0.27
(6.3-8.7)*
12.1±0.54
(4.2-22.5)*
35.2±1.01
(12.0-61.8)*
120.6±1.01
(114.0-126.4)*
27.9±0.85
(23.2-35.8)*
341.0±1.84
(339.2-343.7)*
116.2±1.37
(111.0-125.8)*
54.9±0.61
(52.5-56.2)*
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Environment Conservation Journal
Graph-2. Showing annual variations in different Chemical parameters of Malin River.
Table 4. Showing Calculation of WQI of Malin River water samples
Parameters
Observed value (Vo)
Standard Value
(Sn)
Ideal value
(Vi)
Unit Weight
(Wi)
Quality Rating
(Qi)
WiQi
Total Solid(TS)(mg/l)
963.1
2100
0
0.0008
45.86
0.0367
Total Dissolved
Solid(TDS)(mg/l)
635.1
500
0
0.0035
127.02
0.4446
Total Suspended
Solid(TSS)(mg/l)
327.9
100
0
0.0177
327.90
5.8038
pH
7.1
7.5
7
0.2354
20.00
4.7080
DO
7.5
6
14.6
0.2941
82.56
24.2809
BOD
12.1
5
0
0.3532
242.00
85.4744
COD
35.2
250
0
0.0071
14.08
0.0999
Alkalinity
120.6
200
0
0.0088
60.30
0.5570
Chloride
27.9
250
0
0.0071
11.16
0.0792
Total Hardness
341.0
300
0
0.0059
113.67
0.6707
Calcium Hardness
116.2
75
0
0.0236
154.93
3.6564
Magnesium Hardness
54.9
30
0
0.0589
183.00
10.7787
ΣWi=1.0161
ΣWi=1382.4800
ΣWi=136.5903
WQI=134.4260
0.00
5.00
10.00
15.00
20.00
25.00
30.00
Jul-15 Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16 Apr-16 May-16 Jun-16
pH DO BOD COD Alkalinity Acidity Chloride Total Hardness Calcium Magnesium
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198
Environment Conservation Journal
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l): The amount of DO
present in surface waters depends on water
temperature, turbulence, salinity, and altitude
Natural waters in equilibrium with the atmosphere
will contain DO concentrations ranging from about
5 to 14.5 mg O2 per liter. The DO concentration
present in water reflects atmospheric dissolution, as
well as autotrophic and heterotrophic processes
that, respectively, produce and consume oxygen.
DO is the factor that determines whether biological
changes are brought by aerobic or anaerobic
organisms. Thus, dissolved–oxygen measurement is
vital for maintaining aerobic treatment processes
intended to purify domestic and industrial
wastewaters. A rapid fall in the DO indicates a high
organic pollution in the river (Shah and Joshi,
2017). During the study period the monthly values
of Dissolved Oxygen was ranged from 5.9 mg/l to
9.4 mg/l. The minimum monthly average value of
Dissolved Oxygen were found 7.2 mg/l ±1.04 in the
month of September and maximum monthly
average value were observed 8.0 mg/l ±1.09 in the
month of June (Table-3 and Graph-2). The annual
average values of Dissolved Oxygen were ranged
from 6.3 mg/l to 8.7 mg/l and annual average were
observed 7.5 mg/l ±0.27. A more or less same trend
was observed by Kumar et al., 2012; Arya and
Gupta 2013; Bhutiani et al., 2018.
Biological Oxygen Demand (mg/l): Biological
oxygen Demand is a measure of oxygen in the
water that is required by the aerobic organisms to
decompose the organic matter. During the study
period the monthly values of biological oxygen
demand (BOD) was ranged from 3.7 mg/l to 26.0
mg/l. The minimum monthly average value of
biological oxygen demand (BOD) were found 11.2
mg/l ±9.98 in the month of May and maximum
monthly average value were observed 13.0 mg/l
±9.97in the month of April (Table-3 and Graph-2).
The annual average values of biological oxygen
demand (BOD) were ranged from 4.2 mg/l to 22.5
mg/l and annual average were observed 12.1 mg/l
±0.54. A more or less same trend was observed by
Kumar et al., 2012 and Sharma et al., 2014.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (mg/l): COD is an
oxygen demand to decompose the biodegradable as
well as non-biodegradable organic waste. COD
pointing to a deterioration of water quality likely
caused by discharge of municipal waste water.
During the study period the monthly values of
chemical oxygen demand (COD) was ranged from
5.3 mg/l to 63.6 mg/l. The minimum monthly
average value of chemical oxygen demand (COD)
were found 33.2 mg/l ±19.75 in the month of May
and maximum monthly average value were
observed 36.0 mg/l±24.59 in the month of
November (Table-3and Graph-2). An increase in
the COD values was found in winter because of
sugar mill effluent mixing in the river water. The
annual average values of chemical oxygen demand
(COD) were ranged from 12.0 mg/l to 61.8 mg/l
and annual average value were observed 35.2 mg/l
±1.01. A more or less same trend was observed by
Kumar et al., 2012 and Arya and Gupta 2013.
Alkalinity (mg/l): Alkalinity is the name given to
the quantitative capacity of water to neutralize an
acid. During the study period the monthly values of
Alkalinity was ranged from 99.1 mg/l to 136.7
mg/l. The minimum monthly average value of
Alkalinity were found 118.9 mg/l ±5.55 in the
month of November and maximum monthly
average value were observed 122.1 mg/l ±5.88 in
the month of March (Table-3 and Graph-2). The
annual average values of Alkalinity were ranged
from 114.0 mg/l to 126.4 mg/l and annual average
value were observed 120.6 mg/l ±1.01. A more or
less same trend was observed by Ruhela et al., 2017
Bhutiani et al., 2017 and Khanna and Bhutiani,
2003.
Chlorides (mg/l): During the study period the
monthly values of chlorides was ranged from 21.7
mg/l to 38.7 mg/l. The minimum monthly average
value of chlorides were found 26.5 mg/l ±4.64 in
the month of November and maximum monthly
average value were observed 28.9 mg/l ±6.82 in the
month of April (Table-3 and Graph-2). The annual
average values of chlorides were ranged from 23.2
mg/l to 35.8 mg/l and annual average value were
observed 27.9 mg/l ±0.85. A more or less same
trend was observed by Khanna et al., 2012, and
approximately similar trend were observed by
Bhutiani et al., 2017, Tyagi and Malik, 2018 and
Arya and Gupta 2013.
Total Hardness (mg/l): Total hardness (TH) is a
parameter of water quality used to describe the
effect of dissolved mineral ( Ca and Mg),
determining solubility of water for domestic,
industrial and drinking purpose attributed to
presence of bicarbonates, sulphate, chloride and
nitrates of Calcium and Magnesium. During the
Bhutiani et al.,

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Environment Conservation Journal
study period the monthly values of total hardness
(TH) was ranged from 320.8 mg/l to 351.7 mg/l.
The minimum monthly average value of total
hardness (TH) were found 337.8 mg/l ±11.81 in the
month of March and maximum monthly average
value were observed 344.1 mg/l ±5.92 in the month
of January (Table-3and Graph-2). The annual
average values of total hardness (TH) were ranged
from 339.2 mg/l to 343.7 mg/l and annual average
value were observed 341.0 mg/l ±1.84. A more or
less same trend was observed by Bhutiani et al.,
2017 and Kamboj et al., 2018.
Calcium Hardness (mg/l):- The occurrence of
calcium hardness (CaH) in water is mainly due to
the presence of lime stone, gypsum dolomite and
gypsi-ferrous material. During the study period the
monthly values of calcium hardness (CaH) was
ranged from 106.2 mg/l to 129.3 mg/l. The
minimum monthly average value of calcium
hardness (CaH) were found 114.0 mg/l ±8.41 in
the month of May and maximum monthly average
value were observed 119.3 mg/l ±7.32 in the month
of March (Table-3 and Graph-2). The annual
average values of calcium hardness (CaH) were
ranged from 111.0 mg/l to 125.8 mg/l and annual
average value were observed 116.2 mg/l ±1.37.
Approximately similar trend were observed by
Arya and Gupta 2013: Bhutiani et al., 2016.
Magnesium Hardness (mg/l): Magnesium ranked
fourth after sodium in sea water. During the study
period the monthly values of calcium hardness
(CaH) was ranged from 106.2 mg/l to 129.3 mg/l.
The minimum monthly average value of calcium
hardness (CaH) were found 114.0 mg/l ±8.41 in
the month of May and maximum monthly average
value were observed 119.3 mg/l ±7.32 in the month
of March (Table-3 and Graph-2). The annual
average values of calcium hardness (CaH) were
ranged from 111.0 mg/l to 125.8 mg/l and annual
average value were observed 116.2 mg/l ±1.37.
Approximately similar trend were observed by
Arya and Gupta 2013; Bhutiani et al., 2018..
Water quality index
Water Quality Index allows for a general analysis
of water quality on many levels that affect a
stream’s ability to host life and whether the overall
quality of water bodies poses a potential threat to
various uses of water (Akkaraboyina and Raju
2012). From Table 4, the WQI of the Malin river
Water was calculated as 134.4260 which
indicate(Table 1) that river water was seriously
polluted during the study period. Similar water
quality index (57-290) were observed by Chandra
et al., 2017 for the water quality parameters of
Vijayawada, Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.
Conclusion
The point sources contributing to river Malin have
very high organic pollution deteriorating water
quality of the river Malin. The river Malin is
subjected to varying degree of pollution caused by
numerous untreated and/or partially treated waste
inputs of municipal and industrial effluents as
assessed by water quality index also. Water quality
index is an efficient tool to classify the water of the
river for their various advantageous uses and give a
rapid and precise idea about the pollution load in
the river that may be worthwhile for policy makers.
On the basis of the present investigation, it was
found that the water Malin river is not fit for direct
human consumption. Most of the parameters was
found above the standard limit of WHO and BIS.
The annual values of Some parameters such as
chloride, COD and BOD was found under the limit
but at some sites these parameters was found above
the limits. On the basis WQI the river water was
also found not only unsuitable for drinking purpose
but was found seriously polluted.
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