Abstract
The considerable literature suggests negative impacts of hydropower on the river. The Alaknanda hydroelectric project was commissioned in the year 2014. Bio-assessment of the river stretch between the dam and power house was conducted using the benthic diatom and macroinvertebrate assemblages. The Van Dam ecologic values and BMWP scores were determined for respective assemblages. The present assemblages were compared with the past data (mid-1990s) in same stretch of the river. Earlier, C. laevis—A. linearis dominated the diatom assemblages, but now A. minutissimum dominated intermittently. Van Dam ecologic values reveal β-mesosaprobic and indifferent to eutraphentic trophic state. Leclercq index depicts degradation and organic pollution. Earlier, Ephemeridae, Simuliidae, Psephenidae, and Chironomidae dominated the benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, but now Chironomidae prevails. BMWP score shows that water quality has deteriorated from moderately impacted (53–December, 56–April) to unimpacted state (120–March) in past and heavily (7–10) to moderately impacted state (41–54) at present.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
supplementary data for online viewing only
- 2.
supplementary data for online viewing only
References
Dynesius, M., Nilsson, C.: Fragmentation and flow regulation of river systems in the northern third of the world. Science 266, 753 (1994)
Rajvanshi, A., Roshni, A., Mathur, V.B., Sivakumar, K., Sathyakumar, S., Rawat, G.S., Johnson, J., Ramesh, K., Dimri, N.K., Maletha, A.: Assessment of Cumulative Impacts of Hydroelectric Projects on Aquatic and Terrestrial Biodiversity in Alaknanda and Bhagirathi Basins. Wildlife Institute of India Technical Report plus Appendices, Uttarakhand (2012)
Rosenberg, D.M., Resh, V.H.: Freshwater Biomonitoring and Benthic macroinvertebrates. Routledge, Chapman and Hall, New York (1993)
Plafkin, J.L., Barbour, M.T., Porter, K.D., Gross, S.K., Hughes, R.M.: Rapid Bioassessment Protocols for Use in Streams and Rivers: Benthic Macroinvertebrates and Fish. EPA/440/4-89-001. Office of Water, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington D.C. (1989)
Battegazzore, M.: Diatoms used for the evaluation of the effects of experimental water releases from hydroelectric power plants in alpine river systems, the case of the Cairasca–Devero basins (NW Italy). 7th CE-Diatom Meeting, pp. 108–110 (2013)
Lenat, D.R.: A biotic index for the southern united states: derivation and list of tolerance values, with criteria for assigning water-quality ratings. J. North Am. Benthol. Soc. 12, 290–297 (1993)
Whitton, B.A., Kelly, M.G.: Use of algae and other plant for monitoring rivers. Aus J Ecol (1995)
Wu, J.A.: Generic index of diatom assemblages as bioindicator of pollution in the Keelung River of Taiwan, 79–87 (1999)
Karr, J.R., Chu, E.W.: Restoring Life in Running Waters: Better Biological Monitoring, Springer (1999)
Welch, P.S.: Limnology, 2nd edn. McGraw Hill Book Co. Inc., New York (1948)
APHA.: Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. American Public Health Association, Washington D.C. (1995)
Hustedt, F.: The Pennate Diatoms. Koeltz Scientific Books, Koenigstein, 981 (1985)
Krammer, K., Lange-Bertalot, H.: Bacillariophyceae. 2/1 Naviculaceae, Spektrum Akademischer, Stuttgart and Heidelberg, pp. 1–876 (1986)
Krammer, K.: Diatoms of Europe, Vol 3. The genus Cymbella, A. R. G. Gantner Verlag Komanditgesellschaft, FL 9491 Ruggell, p. 584, 194 plates (2002)
Krammer, K.: Diatoms of Europe, vol. 4, The genus Cymbopleura, Delicata, Navicymbula, Gomphocymbellopsis, Afrocymbella, A. R. G. GantnerVerlag Komanditgesellschaft, FL 9491 Ruggell, p. 520, 164 plates (2003)
Ward, H.B., Whipple, G.C.: Freshwater Biology, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York, pp. 1248 (1959)
Gibson, K.: http://lists.lib.plymouth.ac.uk/lists/FCC7BDB5
Ward, J.V., Stanford, J.A.: Riverine ecosystems: the influence of man on catchment dynamics and fish ecology. In: Dodge, D.P. (ed.) Proceedings of the Inter Large River Symposium. Can. Sp. Publ. Fish Aquat. Sci. 106, 56–64 (1989)
Zalewski, M., Puchalski, W., Nowak, M., Frankiewicz, P., Bis, B.: Riparian ecotones and fish communities in rivers–intermediate complexity hypothesis. In: Cowx, I. (ed.) Rehabilitation of freshwater Fisheries. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1994)
de Garcia Leaniz, C.: Weir removal in salmonid streams implications, challenges and practicalities. Hydrobiologia 609, 83–96 (2008)
Jenkins, K.M., Boulton, A.J.: Connectivity in a dry land river short term aquatic micro invertebrate recruitment following floodplain inundation. Ecology 84, 2708–2723 (2003)
Sparks, R.E.: Risks of altering the hydrologic regime of large rivers. In: Cairns, J., Niederlehner, B.R., Orvos, D.R. (eds.) Predicting Ecosystem Risk 20, Advances in Modern Environmental Toxicology Princeton, pp. 119–152. Princeton Scientific Publishing Co. (1992)
Nilsson, C., Svedmark, M.: Basic principles and ecological consequences of changing water regimes: Riparian plant communities. Environ. Manage. 30, 468–480 (2002)
Stanford, J.A., Ward, J.V.: Insect species diversity as a function of environmental variability and disturbance in stream systems. In: Barnes, J.R., Minshall, G.W. (eds.) Stream Ecology: Application and Testing of General Ecological Theory, pp. 265–278. Plenum Press, New York (1983)
Nautiyal, P.: Studies on the riverine ecology of the torrential waters in Indian uplands of Garhwal region. 2. Seasonal fluctuations in diatom density. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Anim. Sci.) 93, 671–674 (1984)
Nautiyal, R., Nautiyal, P., Singh, H.R.: Impact of sewage on the diatom communities of the river Alaknanda (Srinagar Garhwal). Int. J. Ecol. Environ. Sci. 22(3), 289–296 (1996)
Nautiyal, R., Nautiyal, P., Singh, H.R.: Community structure of cold water epiphytic diatoms in relation to substrate and flow conditions of a Himalayan river Alaknanda. J. Freshw. Biol. 8, 1–5 (1996)
Nautiyal, P., Mishra, A.S., Verma, J.: The health of benthic diatom assemblages in lower stretch of a lesser Himalayan glacier-fed river, Mandakini. J. Earth Syst. Sci. 124(2), 383–394 (2015)
Aquilina, R.: Pre-restoration assessment of the Hogsmill and river Wandle. http://www.aquilina-environmental.co.uk (2013)
Badoni, K., Nautiyal, R., Bhatt, J.P., Kishor, B., Nautiyal, P.: Variations in the Epilithic diatom community structure due to River valley projects on the Ganga between Rishikesh and Haridwar. Proc. Indian natn. Sci. Acad. 63(6), 523–536 (1997)
Ponader, K.C., Potapova, M.G.: Diatoms from the genus Achnanthidium in flowing waters of the Appalachian Mountains (North America): ecology, distribution and taxonomic notes. Limnologica 37, 227–241 (2007)
Migratory phenomenon of the endangered Himalayan Mahseer Tor putitora in relation to the Ecology of the river Ganga (14/28/92—MAB/RE/01.06.94, 01.09.94 to 30.8.97) MOEn& F, New Delhi (1997)
Beyene, A., Addis, T., Kifle, D., Legesse, W., Kloos, H., Triest, L.: Comparative study of diatoms and macroinvertebrates as indicators of severe water pollution: case study of the Kebena and Akaki rivers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ecol. Ind. 9, 381–392 (2009)
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to the Head, Department of Zoology & Biotechnology, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Srinagar, for extending all facilities during the present study.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
1 Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this paper
Cite this paper
Nautiyal, P., Mansi, Sharma, N., Kumar, P., Singh, D. (2018). Biological Monitoring of Water Quality Before and After Completion of the Hydroelectric Project on the River Alaknanda at Srinagar. In: Siddiqui, N., Tauseef, S., Bansal, K. (eds) Advances in Health and Environment Safety. Springer Transactions in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7122-5_22
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7122-5_22
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-7121-8
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-7122-5
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)