Abstract
Water covers 71% of the surface of the earth, out of which the share of rivers and lakes being 0.3% only. Therefore, it is necessary to assess and maintain the health of rivers. Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics are exclusively measured to determine the health of river water. The present study was carried out for 3 years during 2017–2019 to evaluate the ecosystem health of River Mahanadi and its seven tributaries at the nodes by analyzing the physical habitats, chemical characteristics of water, and biological attributes of fishes. River health was calculated from water quality index (WQI), qualitative habitat evaluation index (QHEI), nutrient pollution index (NPI), and biological integrity index (IBI). The major stressors affecting river health have been established through principal component analysis (PCA). Cluster analysis revealed variations in water quality over time, which are typically signs of pollution. We also described a variety of macroinvertebrates to determine their function in determining the quality of river water and pollution levels. The study suggests that most sites of the river have moderate water quality. The water quality of upstream stretches was deteriorated due to anthropogenic activity and intensive agriculture. Nutrient (N and P) enrichment, organic matter contaminants from domestic wastewater disposal, deforestation, and loss of riparian vegetation were identified to be the major stressors. The deterioration of the quality of rivers was also linked to river regulation and channel alteration. The findings of the study could be used as a metric for assessing the ecological health of rivers.
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Rout, J., Sahoo, G. (2022). Assessment of River Health through Water and Biological Characteristics. In: Patra, B.C., Shit, P.K., Bhunia, G.S., Bhattacharya, M. (eds) River Health and Ecology in South Asia. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83553-8_7
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