scholarly journals Population Growth–Land Use/Land Cover Transformations–Water Quality Nexus in Upper Ganga River Basin

Author(s):  
Anoop Kumar Shukla ◽  
Chandra Shekhar Prasad Ojha ◽  
Ana Mijic ◽  
Wouter Buytaert ◽  
Shray Pathak ◽  
...  

Abstract. For sustainable development in a river basin it is crucial to understand population growth–Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) transformations–water quality nexus. This study investigates effects of demographic changes and LULC transformations on surface water quality of Upper Ganga River basin. River gets polluted in both rural and urban area. In rural area, pollution is because of agricultural practices mainly fertilizers, whereas in urban area it is mainly because of domestic and industrial wastes. First, population data was analyzed statistically to study demographic changes in the river basin. LULC change detection was done over the period of February/March 2001 to 2012 [Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) data] using remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques. Further, water quality parameters viz. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Dissolve Oxygen (DO) %, Flouride (F), Hardness CaCO3, pH, Total Coliform bacteria and Turbidity were studied in basin for pre-monsoon (May), monsoon (July) and Post-monsoon (November) seasons. Non-parametric Mann–Kendall rank test was done on monthly water quality data to study existing trends. Further, Overall Index of Pollution (OIP) developed specifically for Upper Ganga River basin was used for spatio-temporal water quality assessment. From the results, it was observed that population has increased in the river basin. Therefore, significant and characteristic LULC changes are observed in the study area. Water quality degradation has occurred in the river basin consequently the health status of the rivers have also changed from range of acceptable to slightly polluted in urban areas.

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 4745-4770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anoop Kumar Shukla ◽  
Chandra Shekhar Prasad Ojha ◽  
Ana Mijic ◽  
Wouter Buytaert ◽  
Shray Pathak ◽  
...  

Abstract. The Upper Ganga River basin is socioeconomically the most important river basin in India and is highly stressed in terms of water resources due to uncontrolled land use and land cover (LULC) activities. This study presents a comprehensive set of analyses to evaluate the population growth, LULC transformations, and water quality nexus for sustainable development in this river basin. The study was conducted at two spatial scales: basin scale and district scale. First, population data were analyzed statistically to study demographic changes, followed by LULC change detection over the period of February–March 2001 to 2012 (Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data) using remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) techniques. Trends and spatiotemporal variations in monthly water quality parameters, viz. biological oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO, measured in percentage), fluoride (F), hardness (CaCO3), pH, total coliform bacteria and turbidity, were studied using the Mann–Kendall rank test and an overall index of pollution (OIP) developed specifically for this region, respectively. A relationship was deciphered between LULC classes and OIP using multivariate techniques, viz. Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression. From the results, it was observed that population has increased in the river basin. Therefore, significant and characteristic LULC changes were observed. The river became polluted in both rural and urban areas. In rural areas, pollution is due to agricultural practices, mainly fertilizers, whereas in urban areas it is mainly contributed from domestic and industrial wastes. Water quality degradation has occurred in the river basin, and consequently the health status of the river has also changed from acceptable to slightly polluted in urban areas. Multiple linear regression models developed for the Upper Ganga River basin could successfully predict status of the water quality, i.e., OIP, using LULC classes.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed-Aslam Mohammad AbdulKhader ◽  
Reshma Sisupalan Rema

Abstract The linkage between the land use/land cover (LULC) pattern and water quality is an emerging topic in multidisciplinary research. The LULC changes affect water quality in many ways. Change in the land use/land cover, especially urbanization leads to water quality deterioration. This study mainly focuses on the water quality in parts of the river Karamana, which flows through the Thiruvananthapuram urban area. The water quality parameters of six selected sites within the urban area were obtained. Physico-chemical and biological parameters of water quality were analysed for 2019 (pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon). The water quality data obtained during the present study were used to characterize the built-up and other areas. Results have shown a distinct variation of parameters in the upstream region (less built-up) than that of the urban area (more built-up). The results have clearly demonstrated the indication of the effect of urbanization on water resources. The speedy development of urban built-up in Thiruvananthapuram city causing severe issues to the water regime in terms of its quality. The data shows that the water quality is poor in the pre-monsoon period in most of the areas. Though the worsening of water quality is limited to a few localized zones, the trend of the quality change is serious. It needs the attention and proper consideration of policy planners and decision-makers. Adequate effluent treatment facilities in the urban regions is the need of the hour to minimize pollution.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sneha Santy ◽  
Pradeep Mujumdar ◽  
Govindasamy Bala

<p>High industrial discharge, excessive agricultural activities, untreated sewage disposal make the Kanpur region one of the most contaminated stretches of the Ganga river. This study analyses water quality for the combined future climate change and land use land cover scenarios for mid-century for a 238km long Kanpur stretch of Ganga river. Climate change projections from 21 General Circulation Models for the scenarios of RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 are considered and Land use Land Cover (LULC) projections are made with QGIS software. Streamflow and water temperature are modelled using the HEC-HMS model and a Water-Air temperature regression model, respectively. Water quality analysis is simulated using the QUAL2K model in terms of nine water quality parameters, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total nitrogen, organic phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus, total phosphorus and faecal coliform. Climate change impact alone is projected to result in degraded water quality in the future. Combined climate change and LULC change may further degrade water quality, especially at the study area's critical locations. Our study will provide guidance to policymakers to safeguard the Ganga river from further pollution.</p>


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