Studies on Physicochemical Parameters to Assess the Water Quality at Selected Sites of River Hooghly, a Tributary of the Ganges, West Bengal, India

The physico-chemical characteristics of Hooghly river water and drain water falling in the same river have been studied. Five sampling stations namely, Bataghat (BATA), Bagkhal (BAGK), Baromandir ghat (BARO), Ghoshpara (GHOS), and Sakherbazar ghat (SAKH) are situated in highly populated as well as industrial belt of West Bengal, India. Sampling was done between November 2009 and June 2010 to measure transparency, dissolved oxygen, free carbon dioxide, pH, alkalinity, hardness, calcium, magnesium and salinity. Alkalinity at Bataghat river water and Baghkhal sewage water almost maintained more than desirable limit (IS: 200 mg l(-1)) and other places maintained high alkalinity during winter. pH was almost acidic which was not desirable (IS: 6.5 to 8.5). Though dissolved oxygen maintained a desirable limit in river water, but free carbon dioxide was very high almost throughout the study period. Hardness reached upto 360 mg l(-1) in river water at Bataghat which was more than desirable (IS: 300 mg l(-1)). The study indicated that the Hooghly river water is polluting regularly and becoming unsuitable for aquatic animals. People who used to bathe in the river were found affected by different skin diseases and had a serious gastric problem like dysentery due to intake of the water.