Analysis of Water Quality Parameters and Their Variation for Surface Water Using GIS-Based Tools

Abstract

This study is aimed at evaluation of water quality parameters for the surface water taken from Futala Lake, Nagpur. The analysis of variation in 11 water quality parameters (including pH, turbidity, alkalinity, hardness, chlorides, sulphates, dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrates, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)) was studied using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The lake basin is subjected to an ecological imbalance due to idol immersions, rendering the water unusable for drinking and other purposes. Sampling was done between September and October 2017. Percentage difference for all the parameters was calculated, which showed a significant alteration from natural water quality. Kriging interpolation was used to represent the distribution of the parameters across the lake. The pre-immersion and immersion phases were compared for each parameter (change detection). The areas that are most affected and least affected spatially by idol immersion were found out and buffers were created to represent their definitive spatial extent. The areas found to be most affected by immersion pollution should be prioritized and treated more frequently during the immersion period. Lesser affected areas can be treated with lower frequency and dosages of treatment reagents.