Physicochemical and Biological Analysis of Gandak River at Sonepur

The History of Bihar as a region is very rich and eventful. This is due to the fact that Bihar was a center of power, learning and culture. It has been a cradle of Indian civilization and the birth place of two of the major religions that have emanated from India: Buddhism and Jainism. Festivals and cultural activities are being celebrated throughout the year in the state. There is one Hindu festival that is uniquely Bihari, and that is the festival of Chhath. Mostly the people of North Bihar observe this. It is devoted to the worship of the Sun God. Specific events are being organised by different communities in different places in Bihar throughout the year such as Madhushravani (Social festival giving a message how to weave together religion and tradition in day-to-day life) in Mithilanchal, Bihula festival (family welfare) in Bhagalpur district, Sama-Chakeva (brother-sister relationships) in Mithila, etc. A huge fair is held at Sonepur which is a confluence point of the River Ganga & river Gandak in Kartik Poornima which is the largest fair of its kind in the world, for it is a fair especially for the trade of animals. Cattle, horses, camels and elephants can be seen in large numbers. It attracts a huge number of people, not only from all over Bihar, but also from other parts of India and foreign countries. Therefore, it is reasonable to take a cognizance of all the design discharge values selected for these Bridges and the maximum discharge values observed at the gauge discharge site. It is indicated that while deciding the design discharge of the proposed Bridge, statistical processes for extrapolation of maximum discharges were used and the discharges observed in rivers Ganga and Gandak were considered while arriving at the design discharge for the proposed Bridge. The design discharge for the proposed Bridge is finalised as 106,839 cum/ s. When compared to the design discharge of Mahatma Gandhi Setu of 96,277 cum/s, and the design discharge of rail cum road bridge at Patna, of 97,000 cum/s. the proposed design discharge appears within reasonable limits. However, further analysis is made to look in to the dependency on the computed design discharge. The observed highest discharges of rivers Ganga and Gandak are added and the design discharge of (81,839+25,000=) 1,06,839 cum/s is arrived at. Using the peak flood data, RITES worked out the 100 year flood frequency for the two rivers. Addition of the estimated discharges of the two rivers works out to (96,919+20,620=) 1,17,539 cum/s. If the flood peaks would coincide, then the above two values may have to be chosen for deciding the design discharge. However, the floods of rivers Ganga and Gandak do not coincide. As the catchments of the two rivers are far apart, and the time of travel of floods would also be different, the coincidence of the floods at the Bridge is normally not possible. Mahatma Gandhi Setu was designed for a discharge of 96,277 cum/s. There is no major contribution of discharge from any river between Mahatma Gandhi Setu and the proposed bridge. The hydraulic performance of Mahatma Gandhi Setu is quite satisfactory. Therefore, the design discharge of the proposed bridge could also be the same. However, with the projected increase in flood flows due to climate

Perhaps the most common of all fossil turtles are the batagurida from the Plio- pleistocene of Siwaliks in North India and Pakistan. Many of the forms are morphologically similar with the recent fresh water turtles except the fossils are somewhat larger in size and synonymous with them (Smith, 1931). Species represented include Malanochelys triguger, Hardella thwjii, Batagur cautleyi, Batagur watsonii, Kachuga tentoria and Geoclemys hamiltoni (Lydekker, 1886) and Geoclemys sivalemis (Tiwari and Badam, 1969). Fossils of Kachuga have been obtained from the pleistocene deposit of Siwalik hill and Narmada valley of India. Deraniyagala (1953) described Lassemys punctata sinhaleyas from Ratnapura of Sri Lanka. Study on the distributional population pattern of animal in an area can be used not only to formulate conservation strategies; but also through more light on the taxonomic relationship among the distribution of turtles and tortoises which has been described by various groups of authors in India.

In an extensive survey of Indian rivers and markets, 14 major rivers including the Ganga and its tributaries in India, 7 species and 10 subspecies of the genus Kachuga were recorded and established a close relationship ofKachuga to Bataguy, Callage, Hardella and Morenia (Moll, 1986). Rao and Singh (1984) attempted to look the morphology and the reproduction of these three species Kachuga tentoria circumdata; K dhongoka and K kachuga collected from the river Chambal and river Pali of National Chambal Sanctuary. Earlier Anderson (1876) attempted to project the females of these species as herbivorous, while the males are omnivorous. Occurrence of K kachuga in Burma (Gunther 1864, Theobald 1868) Krishna river (Gray, 1862) and in Godavari river in India, (Anderson 1878-79) were suggested. Occurence o f K smithi in the Ganges and the Brahmaputra drainages of Nepal, India and Bangladesh was highlighted (Das, 1995). Kachuga smithipallidipes collected in the Gandak river, Bherihari wild life sanctuary of west Champaran district of Bihar and Kachuga smithii smithii from die Indus, Ganges and the Brahmaputra drainage of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh respectively were described (Das, 1995). Kachuga sylhetensis (Jerdon, 1870) was reported from the Khasi, Garo hills areas of Assam, (India) and Bangladesh. Male are much smaller with long tail than the females. Kachuga tecta (Gray, 1831) collected from backwater of the Ganga river, a small pond near Lucknow, U.P. and considered to be the most common turtle in Bangladesh (Khan, 1982). Kachuga tentoria (Gray, 1834) is restricted to drainages of rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal of India, Nepal and Bangladesh. This species was collected from Bihar, Utter Pradesh (U P) and Bangladesh (Khan, 1982). Kachuga tentoria was collected from Mahanadi river (Orissa) drainage as well as in Krishna drainage in Southward (Gray, 1834). Earlier records of Kachuga tentoriaflaviventer collected from Katamiaghat Gharial sanctuary, an impoundment of the Ganga River are available (Gunther, 1864). Vijaya (1982) found nests of this turtle on the soft, clayey riverbank soil along the Rapit River near Gorakhpur. This species inhabits in the northern tributaries of the Ganges and possibly the Ganges proper from Bihar eastward. Collections of Kachuga tentoria circumdata (13 females) from Chambal River in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh (MP) and 11 males from the Yamuna River in the Etowah district of UP were reported (Mertens, 1969). Ghosh and Mandal (1988) described the nesting and artificial hatching of the endangered river terrapin Batagur baska (IUCN Red Data Book) in the Simdarban tiger reserve, West Bangal. Its biology and exploitation has been reviewed (Moll, 1976; Tikadar & Sharma, 1985). This species is found in the Hooghly

The Ganges is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent, flowing east through the Gangetic Plain of northern India into Bangladesh. The 2,510 km river rises in the western Himalayas in the Uttarakhand state of India, and drains into the Sunderbans delta in the Bay of Bengal. The Ganges Basin drains 1,000,000-square-kilometre and supports one of the world's highest densities of humans. The river has been declared as India's National River. After flowing 200 km through its narrow Himalayan valley, the Ganges debouches on the Gangetic Plain at the pilgrimage town of Haridwar. Further, the river follows an 800 km curving course passing through the city of Kanpur before being joined from the southwest by the Yamuna at Allahabad. Joined by numerous rivers such as the Kosi, Son, Gandaki and Ghaghra, the Ganges forms a formidable current in the stretch between Allahabad and Malda in West Bengal. On its way it passes the towns of Kanpur, Soron, Kannauj, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Ghazipur, Bhagalpur, Mirzapur, Ballia, Buxar, Saidpur, and Chunar. The Ganges Basin with its fertile soil is instrumental to the agricultural economies of India and Bangladesh. The Ganges and its tributaries provide a perennial source of irrigation to a large area. Chief crops cultivated in the area include rice, sugarcane, lentils, oil seeds, potatoes, and wheat. Along the banks of the river, the presence of swamps and lakes provide a rich growing area for crops such as legumes, chillies, mustard, sesame, sugarcane, and jute. There are also many fishing opportunities to many along the river, though it remains highly polluted.

The major polluting industries on the Ganga are the leather industries, especially near Kanpur, which use large amounts of Chromium and other chemicals, and much of it finds its way into the meager flow of the Ganga. floating down the Ganga, not to mention livestock corpses. The Ganga Basin, the largest river basin of the country, houses about 40 percent of population of India. During the course of its journey, municipal sewages from 29 Class-I cities (cities with population over 1,00,000), 23 Class II cities (cities with population between 50,000 and 1,00,000) and about 48 towns, effluents from industries and polluting wastes from several other non-point sources are discharged into the river Ganga resulting in its pollution. The NRCD records put the estimates of total sewage generation in towns along river Ganga and its tributaries as 5044 MLD (Million Litres per Day). According to the Central Pollution Control Board Report of 2001, the total wastewater generation on the Ganga basin is about 6440 MLD. Urban filth and industrial pollution are scientific causes, but environmentalists believe that apart from industrial pollution and sewage, the increase in number of slaughterhouse, dhobi ghats, crematoria and slums are the major sources of pollution in these rivers. Every year, religious idols are immersed in rivers which lose a little more of their life as they are choked yet again. The Central Government, by a notification dated 20.2.2009, as set up ‘National Ganga River Basin Authority’ (NGRBA)as an empowered planning, financing, monitoring and coordinating authority for the Ganga river, in exercise of the powers conferred under the Environment (Protection) Act,1986. The Prime Minister is ex-officio Chairperson of the Authority, and it has as its members, the Union Ministers Concerned and the Chief Ministers of states through which Ganga flows, viz., Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, among others. The objective of the Authority is to ensure effective abatement of pollution and conservation of the river Ganga by adopting a holistic approach with the river basin as the unit of planning. The functions of the Authority include all measures necessary for planning and execution of programmes for abatement of pollution in the Ganga in keeping with sustainable development needs. River Basin will be the unit of planning and management. This is an internationally accepted strategy for integrated management of rivers. Accordingly, a new institutional mechanism in the form of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) will spearhead river conservation efforts at the national level. Implementation will be by the State Agencies and Urban Local Bodies. are numerous sugar factories scattered throughout the area. Many rice and edible oilmills also dot the landscape. It also has some sundry, but important, manufacturing plants, for example the Button Factory at Mehsi (East Champaran), and the old and renowned rail wagon manufacturing plant, the Arthur Butler & Co, at Muzaffarpur. Immediately after independence however, a major industrial complex grew around Barauni. The industrial plants located there are: the Fertilizer Factory, the Oil (petroleum) Refinery Plant, and the Thermal Power Station. Recently, a Thermal Power Plant has also begun operation at Kanti, in the Muzaffarpur district along its border with East Champaran.

The ambient and water temperature showed a close proximity relation. Maximum ambient temperature (18°C) was recorded at Sohgi-Barwa Ghat while the minimum (9°C) was recorded at Rewa Ghat. The water temperature fluctuated between 13.2C – 17.2°C. The turbidity was measured in NTU (Nepheloturbidity unit). Minimum turbidity (6 NTU) was recorded at Bagha- I while the maximum (43.5 NTU) at Konhara Ghat, Hazipur. The turbidity value was 35.5 NTU at the Confluence point. Gandak River carry high amount of silt and this apparently accounts for the higher turbidity value of the river. Total dissolved solids ranged from 152.4 – 356 mg/l or ppm. Lower values were recorded at Bagha- I while the higher value was recorded at Susta Ghat. TDS value at the Confluence point was 169 ppm. Conductivity of water depends upon the concentration of ion and nutritional status of the water body. It ranged from 246.3 – 578.9 ppm. Maximum value was recorded at Susta Ghat and the minimum at Chhitauni Bridge. At the Confluence point, the value was 273.9 ppm. PH of River water ranged from 7 – 8 i.e. from neutral to slightly alkaline. Dissolved oxygen content is an indicator of healthy aquatic systems. DO level was minimum at Valmikinagar Ghat (6.5 ppm) and the maximum was recorded at Raj bariya Ghat (10.8 ppm), while at the Confluence point, it was 10.6 Valmikinagar Ghat. At the Confluence point, the F-CO2 value was 50 ppm. Carbonate alkalinity was found absent at all the investigated sites. Bicarbonate alkalinity was recorded at all the sites. It ranged from 34 – 106 ppm. All the sites, more or less, showed the same range of bicarbonate alkalinity. Total hardness values ranged from 134 – 180 ppm. The minimum value was recorded at Valmikinagar and maximum at Kalyanpur Ghat. At the Confluence point, the value was 150 ppm. Its range of variation was not significant from the chemical pollution point of view. Chloride is one of the important indicators of water pollution. The chloride values were lower ranging from 3.99 – 10.99 ppm. Phosphate-phosphorus and Nitrate-nitrogen values were very low in concentration. Phosphate-phosphorus values ranged from 0.033 – 0.05 ppm and nitrate-nitrogen values from 0.027 – 0.031 ppm. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) was higher at Rewa Ghat (25 ppm) and at Konhara Ghat (34 ppm) i.e. Towards lower reaches of the river (downstream) and close to the confluence point. A higher value of COD indicated the presence of higher amount of algal biomass and organic.

5. GANDAK RIVER WATER QUALITY:

The ambient and water temperature showed a close proximity relation. Maximum ambient temperature (18°C) was recorded at Sohgi-Barwa Ghat while the minimum (9°C) was recorded at Rewa Ghat. The water temperature fluctuated between 13.2C – 17.2°C. The turbidity was measured in NTU (Nepheloturbidity unit). Minimum turbidity (6 NTU) was recorded at Bagha- I while the maximum (43.5 NTU) at Konhara Ghat, Hazipur. The turbidity value was 35.5 NTU at the Confluence point. Gandak River carry high amount of silt and this apparently accounts for the higher turbidity value of the river. Total dissolved solids ranged from 152.4 – 356 mg/l or ppm. Lower values were recorded at Bagha- I while the higher value was recorded at Susta Ghat. TDS value at the Confluence point was 169 ppm. Conductivity of water depends upon the concentration of ion and nutritional status of the water body. It ranged from 246.3 – 578.9 ppm. Maximum value was recorded at Susta Ghat and the minimum at Chhitauni Bridge. At the Confluence point, the value was 273.9 ppm. pH of River water ranged from 7 – 8 i.e. from neutral to slightly alkaline. Dissolved oxygen content is an indicator of healthy aquatic systems. DO level was minimum at Valmikinagar Ghat (6.5 ppm) and the maximum was recorded at Raj bariya Ghat (10.8 ppm), while at the Confluence point, it was 10.6 ppm. Free- carbon dioxide concentration was minimum (42 ppm) at Triveni Ghat and maximum (112 ppm) at Valmikinagar Ghat. At the Confluence point, the F-CO2 value was 50 ppm. Carbonate alkalinity was found absent at all the investigated sites. Bicarbonate alkalinity was recorded at all the sites. It ranged from 34 – 106 ppm. All the sites, more or less, showed the same range of bicarbonate alkalinity. Total hardness

Kalyanpur Ghat. At the Confluence point, the value was 150 ppm. Its range of variation was not significant from the chemical pollution point of view. Chloride is one of the important indicators of water pollution. The chloride values were lower ranging from 3.99 – 10.99 ppm. Phosphate-phosphorus and Nitrate-nitrogen values were very low in concentration. Phosphate-phosphorus values ranged from 0.033 – 0.05 ppm and nitrate-nitrogen values from 0.027 – 0.031 ppm. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) was higher at Rewa Ghat (25 ppm) and at Konhara Ghat (34 ppm) i.e. towards lower reaches of the river (downstream) and close to the confluence point. A higher value of COD indicated the presence of higher amount of algal biomass and organic 18 matters. The lower reaches of the river support the human settlement on the bank of the river, potential source for disposal of domestic sewage and other wastes into the river and thus accounts for higher COD values possibly. On the basis of the present investigations of the river water quality variables at 21 sampling stations distributed over 332 km length of the river, the Gandak River can be termed as free from pollution. None of the water parameters analyzed was found beyond the permissible limit as prescribed by Indian Standards. Along the entire river course, the DO is maintained at a level above 6.8 ppm. Even near urban centers downstream (Kalyanpur Ghat and Konhara Ghat), DO value does not drop significantly. COD values analyzed at two sampling stations in the initial part of the river (Valmikinagar and Susta Ghat) were 3 ppm and 5 ppm respectively whereas in the last part before confluence (Rewa Ghat at 284 km downstream and Konhara Ghat at 328 km downstream) were 25 ppm and 34 ppm respectively. At the confluence point further downstream, COD dropped to 15 ppm. That means, the river water quality is somewhat degraded in last 48 km stretch of the river compared to upland stretch. pH values indicated the river water as neutral to moderately alkaline. The variations in conductivity, total dissolved solids, total hardness, chloride, phosphate and nitrate were not significant in the river stretch investigated. More or less similar trend of hardness and alkalinity at all the 21 sampling stations show that the river water is saturated in carbonate content. Hardness values suggest the river water as moderately hard. The clarity of the river is seen to be higher in the major part of the river stretch (308 km river segment downstream from Barrage point), the turbidity values ranging from 6 – 12.8 NTU only. The turbidity values increased appreciably in 23 km river segment near confluence point (35.5 – 43.5 NTU) i.e. the clarity of the river is affected adversely. The clarity in major stretches of the river shows that the river has high aesthetic appearance and greater photosynthetic activity (Bhargava, 1985). Activated Sludge Process (AEROBIC PROCESS) is the most used biological waste water treatment process in the developed and developing countries. Due to aerobic process in Activated Sludge Process, plant has less odor/vector nuisance in compare to anaerobic type process as mentioned above.

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