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Chapter-01 Introduction
Earth, the Water planet is the only one in our solar system
presently characterized and shaped by plenteous liquid water ‐ a
necessity for life. Water plays a major role in shaping the land
surface of the Earth. Water in its purest form on Earth, comes from
rain and snow. This water is available first in the form of surface
water through rivers and Lakes. Water is one of the most natural
resources for all the living organisms, weather unicellular or multi
cellular, since it is required for their various metabolic activities. It
covers 70% of the Earth. But only a small portion of this valuable
natural resource is fit for human consumption. The availability of
adequate water in terms of both quantity and quality is necessary for
human existence. This vital resource makes up 60 percent of the
human body. A person can live no more than 4 to 5 days without
water and we rely on it for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing
clothes, growing food, recreation, irrigation, shipping, industry and
mining as well as generation of electric power. Like the air we
breathe, water is essential to our daily life. It is one of the controlling
factors for biodiversity and the distribution of Earth’s varied
ecosystems, communities of animals, plants, and bacteria and their
interrelated physical and chemical environments. Nearly every
activity that occurs on land ultimately affects groundwater or surface
waters. Water is not only a major factor in shaping our landscape but
also a renewable resource. However, it is not always available when
or where it is needed, and it may not be of suitable quality for
intended uses. Having too much water (floods) or not having enough
(droughts) may have serious consequences for people, wildlife, and
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their habitats. Providing sufficient quantities of good quality water is
a major factor in creating the life style we enjoy in the India
(Stephen et. al., 2002). The fresh water available for our water needs
is less than 1 percent of Earth’s supply. Approximately 97 percent of
the Earth’s fresh water is frozen in polar ice caps and glaciers,
making it unavailable for use. Of the remaining fresh water supply,
most is groundwater. The uneven distribution of water resources has
been an important control on human habitation and development
throughout history. Societies have struggled to control water
resources, human migrations have been made to obtain water
resources, and litigation is commonly used to resolve conflicting
water needs (Stephen et. al., 2002). Growth of population and other
anthropogenic activities, like effluent disposals on to the surface and
ground water sources, have made sustainable management of water
resources a very complex task throughout the world. Water which
was once regarded as a free gift of nature is becoming more and
more scarce. Unless pollution of water bodies is effectively
controlled, they will be exposed to the grave dangers of water
pollution. Quality of water has a priority role for not only drinking
purpose but also for agricultural, industrial and other uses. In recent
times as a result of increasing urbanization and industrialization,
there has been an increasing threat to the quality of surface waters in
rivers and lakes. However, water is also one of the most manageable
among the natural resources; it is capable of diversion, transport,
storage and recycling. Its quantity and distribution in time and space
are highly variable, but the total amount of usable water remains
constant, providing man a wide range of choices in managing the
water resources (Seth, 2000). Among all the environmental
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pollutions, pollution of water resources is a matter of great concern.
Poor and developing countries are at high risk due to lack of waste
water treatment technologies. Increasing contamination of aquatic
sources with large number of pollutants is not only endangering the
aquatic biota but creating a worldwide shortage of recreational
waters (Rai et. al., 1998). As we know out of the earth’s total water,
97% is stored in an ocean which is not fit for human consumption.
The further 3% is stored in various sources like rivers, lakes, and
under-ground aquifers. Natural waters are extremely varies in
chemical composition and the factors controlling the composition
include physical, chemical and biological processes. A river system
is a network of connecting channels through which water,
precipitated on the surface, is collected and funneled back to the
ocean. At any given time, about 1300 km3 of water flows in the
world’s rivers. As it moves, it picks up weathered rock debris and
carries it to the oceans. Rivers are the dominant agents of erosion on
our planet. Rivers are ideal examples of natural systems. Our current
life is wholly dependent on rivers. The river systems provide
irrigation, potable water, cheap transportation, electricity as well as
livelihoods for a large number of people all over the world. A river
is not just a channel carrying freshwater, but a hydrological,
geomorphic, ecological, biodiversity-rich, landscape level system
that serves as a key part of the freshwater cycle, balancing dynamic
equilibrium between snowfall, rainfall, surface water and
groundwater and provides a large number of social and economic
services to the people and bring prosperity. Rivers have a large-scale
directional organization i.e. upstream-downstream, which leads to
their accumulating water and material loads as they flow
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downstream. Rivers are dominated by active rather than diffusive
material transport. Rivers have exceptionally high rates of energy
and always ‘contain’ many other embedded ecosystems both
terrestrial and aquatic. The report of the World Commission on
Dams notes, “Rivers, watersheds and aquatic ecosystems are the
biological engines of the planet.” An area without a river is
considered to be poor. Unfortunately, during the past two decades
the river water quality has deteriorated rapid in due course of time.
One of the major reasons for this is the untreated waste water being
released to the rivers, turning them to be a dirty drain. This surface
water forms the lifeline of almost all the human activities as also
most of nature’s activities. It is the surface water which percolates
down and recharges the aquifers and becomes part of Ground Water.
Therefore it can be easily said that contamination of surface water
has a cascading effect and has far reaching inferences throughout the
reach of the river, Ground water aquifers, flora and fauna, and
human activities. In the earth's crust only 0.01% of total water exists
as surface fresh water. Surface waters are usually rich in turbidity,
suspended impurities of decaying organic matter like vegetable and
or animal, sand and finely divided clay, microorganisms and
bacteria, and small amount of mineral salts dissolved from top soil.
The quality of river water in general is subject matter to
1. The character and area of catchment
2. The Topography
3. The extent and nature of development of catchment besides weather
as well as seasonal conditions.
The water resources have been most exploited natural system
since man strode the earth. Pollution of water bodies is increasing
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steadily due to rapid population growth, industrial proliferations,
urbanization, increasing living standards and wide spheres of human
activities. Time is perhaps not too far when pure and clean water
particularly in densely populated and industrialized water scare areas
may be inadequate for maintaining the normal living standards. The
man’s influence on these water bodies caused by rapid cutting of
surrounding vegetation, thus increasing silt and nutrient load, disposal
of sewage and industrial wastes, use for defecation, cultural activities
and agriculture chemicals greatly increased the quantity of nutrients
and organic input into a water body. The water quality of the river and
reservoir changes from time to time and place to place, due to
interaction of local factors. In the absence of any in depth knowledge
about the water quality and ill effects the inhabitants are prone to
disease and health problems.
The aquatic water systems gets polluted by domestic
activities, mining activities, municipal wastes, modern agricultural
practices, marine dumping, radioactive wastes, oil spillage,
underground storage leakages and industries. But the major culprits
causing the pollution of water resources are different industrial units.
Indiscriminate discharge of toxic chemicals through effluents from a
wide range of industries like textile, steel, oil, tanneries, canneries,
refineries, mines, fertilizers production units, detergent production
units, electroplating units and sugar mills etc. into water bodies
pollutes these resources and causes hazardous effects on flora and
fauna (Singh and Singh, 2000, Gavrilescu, 2004, Iqbal and Edyvean,
2004, Akar and Tunali, 2005). Monitoring of physico-chemical
quality of water should be made routine in order not only to keep vigil
on the water deterioration but also to improve the water quality.
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During recent years there has been an increasing awareness and
concern about water pollution all over the world and new approaches
towards achieving sustainable exploitation of water resources have
been developed internationally. Control of water pollution has gained
primary importance in developed and a number of developing
countries. Since water is consumed in large quantities around the
world, the health risks associated with consumption of contaminated
water are of greatest concern. Globally 2.3 billion people suffer from
water related diseases (WHO, 1997). From time immemorial, the
rivers are said to be the lifeline for living beings, as all types of
developments, directly or indirectly relate to them. They have played
a very important role in the progress of human civilization since they
give basic necessities of life, water and food, on which depends the
survival of living-beings. In a way, rivers are also the eventual sink of
all types of terrestrial and aquatic pollution. On the other hand, the
rapid industrial development and demographic explosion, during the
last few decades, have resulted in a galloping pace of environmental
degradation and ridiculous exploitation of riverine resources. In
industrial societies, especially developed countries, the main threat of
water pollution is from chemicals but in developing countries, the
commonest cause of water pollution is the disposal of untreated waste
and effluents into it. According to the World Commission on Water
for the 21'' century, more than half of the world’s major rivers are so
depleted and polluted that they on danger human health and poison
surrounding ecosystems.
RIVERS OF INDIA
Rivers have a exceptional place in the lives of the Indians. India is a
blessed country when water sources come into question which is
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accessible in the form unparalleled resources of Rivers, reservoirs,
estuaries, lakes, ponds and flood wetlands. The geographical area of
India is 3,287,590 sq km. The length of its Coastline is about 7500
km. India is enviably endowed in respect of water resources. The
country is factually criss‐crossed with rivers and blessed with high
precipitation mainly due to the southwest monsoon, which accounts
for 75% of the annual rainfall. Indian rivers with a catchment area of
3.12 million sq.kms form a repository biological wealth characterized
by a highly diverse fish fauna. Rivers in India constitute the backbone
of capture fisheries. The 113 major and minor rivers along with their
principal tributaries form a biological wealth, unmatched in its
qualitative and quantitative abundance. Rivers in India have unique
hydrological structure characterized by peak flows during monsoon
and lean flows in winter like Himalayan Rivers or in summer like
Peninsular Rivers. India is often referred as the “Land of Rivers”. In
fact riverbanks first hosted human civilizations in India as elsewhere
in the world. Rivers in India play important social and economic roles.
This is the reason why Indians worship rivers as goddesses. Our
mythologies are full of stories glorifying the rivers. Our current life is
totally dependent on rivers. There are fourteen major river basins
which occupy area more than 20,000 square kilometer in the country,
which occupy 82.4% of total drainage basins, contribute eighty five
percent of total surface flow and house eighty percent of the country's
population. Major river basins are Brahmaputra, Ganga ( including
Yamuna Sub Basin), Indus (including Satluj and Beas Sub Basin),
Godavari, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada, Cauvery, Brahmini
(including Baitarni Sub Basin), Tapi, Mahi, Pennar and Sabarmati.
There are few desert rivers, which flow for some distance and get lost
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in deserts. There are complete arid areas where evaporation equals
rainfall and hence no surface‐flow. The medium and minor river
basins are mainly in coastal area. Yet, in spite of the nature’s bounty,
paucity of water is an issue of national concern resulting in
deterioration of water quality in aquatic resources.
RIVER BASINS IN INDIA
River Basin Catchment Area – Sq.km No. of Basin
Major More than 20,000 14
Medium Between 2,000 - 20,000 44
Minor Less than 2,000 52
INDIAN RIVER SYSTEM
The Indian River Systems can be divided into four categories –
the Himalayan, the rivers traversing the Deccan Plateau, the Coastal
and those in the inland drainage basin. The Himalayan Rivers are
perennial as they are fed by melting glaciers every summer. During
the monsoon, these rivers assume alarming proportions. The Gangetic
basin is the largest river system in India, draining almost a quarter of
the country. The rivers of the Indian peninsular plateau are mainly fed
by rain. During summer, their flow is greatly reduced, and some of the
tributaries even dry up, only to be revived in the monsoon. The
Godavari basin in the peninsula is the largest in the country, spanning
an area of almost one‐tenth of the country. The 29,000 km of riverine
resource of the country comprises 14 major rivers (catchment area
>20,000 km²), 44 medium rivers (catchment area between 2,000 and
20,000 km²) and 52 minor rivers (catchment area <2,000 km²). They
can be grouped into five major river systems: the Ganga, the
Brahmaputra and the Indus river systems in the north, and the east and
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west coast river systems in the Peninsular India. The East Coast River
System is a composite system of rivers. Its main constituents are
Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Cauvery. Many parts of the River
do not seem to have any dissolved oxygen and no wonder that they
fail to support the growth of desirable aquatic flora and fauna. All
these River systems share between them 83% of the drainage basin
and account for 85% of the surface flow in the country. They are
monsoon fed and fast flowing. By the time they reach the plains they
become tidal in nature. Only 4 of the 14 major Rivers viz.,
Brahmaputra, Ganga, Mahanadi and Brahmani are perennial with a
minimum discharge of 0.47Mm3/km2/yr. Krishna, Indus, Godavari,
Narmanda, Tapti and Subaarnarekha have average discharge of 0.26
Mm3/km2/yr. Since independence, India has witnessed rapid
urbanization, industrialization, and intensification of agriculture,
which all affected the rivers in different ways. Pollution of river is a
global problem. In India it is reported that about 70% of the available
water is polluted. The chief source of pollution is identified as sewage
constituting 84 to 92 percent of the waste water. Industrial waste
water comprised 8 to 16 percent. The indiscriminate and large scale
deforestation and over grazing in the watershed areas of river basins
have caused soil erosion resulting in considerable silting of dams and
shrinkage of river flows. This leads to the flooding of the rivers at the
time of excessive rains. All this affected riverine biota. Species
composition has changed and many species have nearly disappeared.
The loss offeeding and breeding habitats in the floodplain water
bodies due to the construction of embankments (Mukherjee, 2005). It
is symptomatic that out of the 30 world river basins marked as global
level priorities for the protection of aquatic biodiversity by
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Groombridge and Jenkins, (1998), nine (9) are from India due to their
extensive and continuing development. These basins include Cauvery,
Ganges-Brahmaputra, Godavari, Indus, Krishna, Mahanadi, Narmada,
Pennar and Tapi. With an exception of Ganges-Brahmaputra, all the
above basins have also been categorized as “strongly affected” by
flow fragmentation and regulation (Nilsson et. al., 2005).
Conservation and restoration of rivers have become vital for
the overall sustainable development of the country. However, until
recently, this “conservation” has been limited to “cleaning” of rivers
by treatment of wastewater, occasional symbolic removal of garbage
and enforcing the treatment of industrial effluents (Gopal and
Chauhan, 2003). So far, these efforts have not resulted in major
improvements. Overall, there has been limited appreciation of the
nature of rivers as ecosystems whose ecological integrity depends
upon their physical, chemical, biological characteristics and
interactions with their catchment.
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Figure 1: Shows map of Major rivers in India.
The major rivers of India are as follows;
1. Indus River
The Indus originates in the northern slopes of the Kailash range
in Tibet near Lake Manasarovar. It follows a north‐westerly course
through Tibet. It enters Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir. It
forms a picturesque gorge in this part. Several tributaries ‐ the Zaskar,
the Shyok, the Nubra and the Hunza join it in the Kashmir region. It
flows through the regions of Ladakh, Baltistan and Gilgit and runs
between the Ladakh Range and the Zaskar Range. It crosses the
Himalayas through deep gorge near Attock, lying north of the Nanga
Parbat and later takes a bend to the south west direction before
entering Pakistan. It has a large number of tributaries in both India
and Pakistan and has a total length of about 2897 km from the 3
source to the point near Karachi where it falls into the Arabian Sea.
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The main tributaries of the Indus in India are Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi,
Beas and Sutlej.
2. Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra originates in the Mansarovar lake, also the
source of the Indus and the Satluj. It is slightly longer than the Indus,
but most of its course lies outside India. It flows eastward, parallel to
the Himalayas. Reaching Namcha Barwa it takes a U‐turn around it
and enters India in Arunachal Pradesh and known as dihang. In India,
it flows through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, and is joined by
several tributaries.
3. Ganga River
The Ganga rises from the Gangotri Glacier in the Garhwal
Himalayas at an elevation of some 4100 metres above the sea level
under the name of Bhagirathi. This main stream of the river flows
through the Himalayas till another two streams – the Mandakini and
the Alaknanda – join it at Dev Prayag, the point of confluence. The
combined stream is then known as the Ganga. The main tributaries of
the Ganga are Yamuna, Ram Ganga, Gomati, Ghaghara, Son,
Damodar and Sapt Kosi. The river after traversing a distance of 2525
kms from its source meets the Bay of Bengal at Ganga Sagar in West
Bengal.
4. Yamuna River
The River Yamuna originates from the Yamunotri glacier,
6387m above mean sea level (msl), at the Banderpoonch peak in the
Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. The catchment of the river extends
to states of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and
Madhya Pradesh and the entire union territory of Delhi. The river
flows 1367 km from here to its confluence with the River Ganga at
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Allahabad. The main tributaries joining the river include the Hindon,
Chambal, Sind, Betwa and Ken.
5. Narmada River
The Narmada or Nerbudda is a river in central India. It forms
the traditional boundary between North India and South India, and is a
total of 1,289 km (801 mi) long. Of the major rivers of peninsular
India, only the Narmada, the Tapti and the Mahi run from east to west.
Its total length through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
and Gujarat amounts to 1312 kilometres (815 miles), and it empties
into the Arabian Sea in the Bharuch district of Gujarat.
6. Tapti River
The Tapi is a river of central India. It is one of the major rivers
of peninsular India with the length of around 724 km; it runs from east
to west. It rises in the eastern Satpura Range of southern Madhya
Pradesh state, and flows westward, draining Madhya Pradesh's
historic Nimar region, Maharashtra's historic Khandesh and east
Vidarbha regions in the northwest corner of the Deccan Plateau and
South Gujarat before emptying into the Gulf of Cambay of the
Arabian Sea, in the State of Gujarat. The principal tributaries of Tapi
River are Purna River, Girna River, Panzara River, Waghur River,
Bori River and Aner River.
7. Godavari River
The river with second longest course within India, Godavari is
often referred to as the Vriddh (Old) Ganga or the Dakshin (South)
Ganga. The river is about 1,450 km (900 miles) long. It rises at
Trimbakeshwar, near Nasik and Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in
Maharashtra around 380 km distance from the Arabian Sea, but flows
southeast across south‐central India through the states of Madhya
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Pradesh, Karnataka, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, and empties into the
Bay of Bengal. Some of its tributaries include Indravati River,
Manjira, Bindusara and Sabari.
8. Krishna River
The Krishna is one of the longest rivers of India (about 1300
km in length). It originates at Mahabaleswar in Maharashtra, passes
through Sangli and meets the sea in the Bay of Bengal at
Hamasaladeevi in Andhra Pradesh. The Krishna River flows through
the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Its most
important tributary is the Tungabhadra River, which itself is formed
by the Tunga and Bhadra rivers that originate in the Western Ghats.
Other tributaries include the Koyna, Bhima, Mallaprabha,
Ghataprabha, Yerla, Warna, Dindi, Musi and Dudhganga rivers.
9. Kaveri River
The Kaveri (also spelled Cauvery or Kavery) is one of the great
rivers of India and is considered sacred by the Hindus. This river is
also called Dakshin Ganga. The headwaters are in the Western Ghats
range of Karnataka state, and flows from Karnataka through Tamil
Nadu. It empties into the Bay of Bengal. The source of the river is
Talakaveri located in the Western Ghats about 5,000 feet (1,500 m)
above sea level. It flows generally south and east for around 765 km,
emptying into the Bay of Bengal through two principal mouths. Its
basin is estimated to be 27,700 square miles (71,700 km²), and it has 5
many tributaries including Shimsha, Hemavati, Arkavathy, Kapila,
Honnuhole, Lakshmana Tirtha, Kabini, Lokapavani, Bhavani, Noyyal
and Famous Amaravati.
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10. Mahanadi River
The Mahanadi River system is the third largest in the peninsula
of India and the largest river of Orissa state. The river begins in the
Baster hills of Madhya Pradesh flows over different geological
formations of Eastern Ghats and adjacent areas and joins the Bay of
Bengal after divided into different branches in the deltaic area. The
main branches of River Mahanadi meet Bay of Bengal at Paradip and
Nuagarh (Devi estuary). The tidal estuarine part of the river covers a
length of 40 km and has a basin area of 9 km2. Based on physical
characteristics, the estuary has been characterized as a partially mixed
coastal plain estuary.
The conservation and restoration of rivers are vital for
harnessing the direct and indirect benefits from such an ecosystem on
a sustainable basis. The water quality of the rivers in the country is
being monitored by several agencies, viz., Central Pollution Control
Board (CPCB), State Pollution Control Boards, National River
Conservation Directorate, Central Water Commission, State Ground
Water Agencies and Central Ground Water Board.
RIVERS IN MAHARASHTRA
Maharashtra is the third largest state in India with an area of
308 lakh hectares. It is bordered by the states of Madhya Pradesh to
the north, Chhattisgarh to the east, Andhra Pradesh to the southeast,
Karnataka to the south, and Goa to the southwest. The state of Gujarat
lies to the northwest, with the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar
Haveli sandwiched in between. The Arabian Sea makes up
Maharashtra's west coast. The Western Ghats form one of the three
important watersheds of India, from which many South Indian rivers
originate, like Godavari, Bhima, Koyna and Krishna. In Maharashtra,
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of the 5 river basin systems, 55% of the dependable yield is available
in the four river basins (Krishna, Godavari, Tapi and Narmada) east of
the Western Ghats. These four river basins comprise 92% of the
cultivable land and more than 60% of the population in rural areas.
45% of state's water resources are from West Flowing Rivers which
are mainly monsoon specific rivers emanating from the Ghats and
draining into the Arabian Sea.
Figure 2: Shows map of Major River Basins in Maharashtra.
Our present study is related to the River Godavari in
Maharashtra. Godavari River is considered as “Gangs of Deccan” and
the “Gate of Hari”. It serves as source of water and plays a vital role
in improving socio-economic life of population residing on its bank.
The River Godavari is the largest of the peninsular rivers and the
second longest river in India next only to Ganga. It is a perennial
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river and big river basin in India. It flows in southern India and
considered to be one of the seven sacred rivers. The Origin of
Godavari is at Triyambakeshwar, in Deolali Hills near Nasik district
of Maharashtra State and flows east Deccan Plateau into the Bay of
Bengal near Narasapuram in West Godavari district of Andhra
Pradesh. Its elevation is about 920m and coordinates longitude 19055’
and latitude 73031’. The river and its tributaries flow through the
states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and
Andhra Pradesh. Although its point of origin is just 80 Km away from
the Arabian Sea, but it flows total length about 910 miles (1,465km).
Godavari basin extends over an area 3, 12,812 km2, which is nearly
9.5% of the total geographical area or the country. The basin lies in
the Maharashtra (152,199 km2), Andhra Pradesh (73,201 km2),
Madhya Pradesh (65,255 km2), Orissa (17,752 km2) and Karnataka
(4,405 km2). The Godavari basin consists of rising and falling plains
divided by low flat- topped hill ranges. The important soil types found
in the basins are black soils, red soils, lateritic soil, alluvium soil,
mixed soil and saline and alkaline soils. It flows across the Deccan
Plateau from Western to Eastern Ghats through Maharashtra and
Andhra Pradesh before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. The major
tributaries of River Godavari are Manjira, Wainganga, Indravati,
Purna, Maner and Sabri, and there is a host of rivulets and seasonally
active streams serving as minor tributaries. The catchment area of
River Godavari is 315,980 km2 (Jhingran, 1997) to which
Maharashtra contributes 48.6%, Andhra Pradesh (23.8%), Madhya
Pradesh (20.7%), Orissa (5.5%) and Karnataka (1.4%). It includes the
densely forested high rainfall zones of the Western and Eastern Ghats,
and the intensely cultivated dry regions of the Deccan Plateau with
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low rainfall. The river is generally confined within the banks and
rarely overflows in its lower course. The river traverses 693 km in
Maharashtra and is largely developed by constructing weirs, barrages
and reservoirs for irrigation and domestic purposes. Two reservoirs,
one in Gangapur (2,230 ha) 15 km below its origin in Nashik District
and the larger Nathsagar (Jayakwadi dam or Nathsagar Reservoir -
35,000 ha) at Paithan in Aurangabad Distinct, are situated on the main
stream of River Godavari in Maharashtra. A 321-m long irrigation
barrage is situated at Vishnupuri, 8 km upstream of Nanded and
another old weir at Nandur-Madhyameswar, near Nashik. In addition,
there are 12 weirs like Kolhapur type in this stretch of Godavari in
Maharashtra. Due to dams and weirs, the flow in the river is not
continuous and water is mainly confined to these points leaving the
main course almost dry in the post-monsoon and summer months. The
important tributaries joining in this stretch are Pravara and Purna. The
peculiar characteristic of the river Godavari is that it receives most of
its water not from the Western Ghats but in the lower reaches. The
Manjara, the Pranahita, the Indravati and Sabari contribute 6%, 40%,
20% and 10% of the waters respectively. The principal tributaries of
the river are Pravara, Purna, Manjara, Penganga, Wardha, Wainganga,
Pranahitha , Sabari , Indravati, kolab, Machkund.
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Figure 3: Shows River Godavari from origin to Bay of Bengal
Figure 3.1: Shows map of Godavari river basin with principal
Tributaries
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Figure 3.2: Map shows the location of Godavari river basin in
Maharashtra State
Salient Features of Godavari River
Origin of Godavari River Trimbakeshwar, Nasik
Total Length 1465 km.
Length of Godavari River in Maharashtra 788 km.
End of River Rajmehandi (W. Bangal )
Construction of other dams on Godavari
River
Gangapur Dam
Palkhed Dam
Darna Dam
Bhandardara Dam
Karanja Dam
Mula Dam
Nandur Madhmeshwar Dam
Jaikwadi Dam (Nathsagar Reservoir)
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Total % of Godavari & Other river water
in Maharashtra
Godavari- 51%
Krishna-24%
Tapi- 16%
Kokan Rivers-9%
Godavari River tributaries in Marathwada with special reference
to Aurangabad.
The history of Marathwada can be traced as far back as to the
days of the Satvahanas who ruled during the second and third
centuries A.D. with their capital at Pratishthanapura, the present day
Paithan. Pratishthanpura on the banks of the Godavari, referred to by
Greek historians of the second century A.D. as Paithan, was a great
commercial centre and was the capital of the Satavahans. Marathwada
region comprising of eight districts, viz. Aurangabad, Beed, Hingoli,
Jalna, Latur, Nanded, Osmanabad and Parbhani. The location of
Marathwada is on 70° 5’ –78° 5’ E longitude and 17° 5’ – 20° 5’ N
latitude forms the part of the vast Deccan plateau all of India and is
one of the six divisions of Maharashtra State. The total area of
Marathwada region is of 64,813 km. and is bounded by the Vidarbha
region on the North, by Andhra Pradesh on the East and Southeast, by
Karnataka on the South and by Western Maharashtra on the West. The
entire region is situated at an average height of about 300-650 m.
above Mean Sea Level gradually sloping from West to East, and is
traversed by hill ranges origination from the Sahyadris in the West
and the Satpudas in the North. The Godavari is the main river in the
Marathwada region. The region is divided into Upper Godavari basin,
Lower Godavari basin, Bindusara, Manjra, Manad, Terna, Teru and
Lendi are tributaries of Godavari and Sukhna rivers.
22
Aurangabad is the headquarters of the district as well as the
division – Marathwada. It is situated on the Kham River. Its
geographical location is Latitude 19° 53 ' North and Longitude 75° 20'
East. The city is situated in the Dudhana valley between the
Lakenvara range on the north and the Sattaras hills on the south. The
distance between the hills is about 16 – 20 km. The valley is open
towards the east; but on the west side, it gets closed due to deflection
and curving of northern range towards the city. At the base of both the
ranges, the soil is shallow and rocky, while towards the centre it
deepens and becomes rich and fertile gradually. Thus, the city is
placed on very uneven ground. Tributaries of Godavari River in
Marathwada Region especially with reference to Aurangabad are
Kham River, Sukhana River , Shivna River , Kol, Narigi Nalla, Purna
River , Kundlika River.
Figure 3.3: Photograph shows close view of Godavari River at
Paithan
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Maharashtra has the maximum dams in the country (35.7%)
i.e. with 1821 Large Dams and more in the offing. Our present study
work is on water quality of Nathsagar Reservoir which is also known
as Jaikwadi Dam. Among all dams in Maharashtra on Godavai river
Jaikwadi dam (Nathsagar reservoir) is one of the major projects,
which is located in Marathawada region. It is a multipurpose project
and one of the largest earthen dams in Asia. The Nathsagar Reservoir
was constructed mainly to overcome irrigation and drinking water
scarcity in the drought prone area in Marathwada region of the state.
In the absence of natural depressions and hilly terrain, this dam has
been constructed on almost flat land, because of the impounded water
spread is large, approximately 55 km long and 27 km wide. This
shallow water-spread, with resending water line is very attractive to a
large number of waterfalls. The dam is located 50 km from the south
of Aurangabad city (M.S.). It also provides water for drinking and
industrial usage to nearby towns and villages and to the municipalities
and industrial areas of Aurangabad and Jalna district. The 80% of
water of dam is meant for irrigation, 5-7% for drinking water and the
rest for industrial purposes. The surrounding area of the dam has a
garden and a bird sanctuary. Dnyaneshwar Udyan is one of the largest
gardens in Maharashtra resembling the Brindavan Gardens of Mysore.
It is spread over 125 hectares and is situated on the banks of
Nathsagar Lake formed due to dam. This Jaikwadi Dam (Nathsagar
Reservoir) is situated at Paithan Longitude 75017’ and Latitude
19029’. It is located on Godavari river at the site of Jayakawadi village
in Paithan taluka of Aurangabad district in Maharashtra state of India.
The foundation of the dam was laid by the Prime minister of India Lal
Bahadur Shastri on 18 October 1965. The dam was inaugurated on 24
24
February 1976 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Nathsagar
Reservoir is one of the largest irrigation projects in Aurangabad in
Maharashtra. In the year 2009 it has entered in 35th year of its life. It
has overflowed only 17 times in its lifetime.
Salient Features of Jaikwadi dam (Nathsagar Reservoir)
Catchment Area 21,750 sq.km.(8,400 sq.miles)
Total Area 350 sq.km.
Gross storage 2,909 m. cum (10,272m. eft.)
(103.89 TMC)
Maximum Height of Dam above
river Bed
37 meters (120 feet)
Length of Dam 10.20km
Length of over flow section 417m (1367 feet)
Type of Dam Earthen
Area under submergence 35,000 Hect (86,000acres)
Earth work 12,85 m cum. (759m cft.)
Masonry work 0.33 (11.86 m.cft)
Spillway gates
Number
Size
Type
Designed flood
27
12.50/7.90m.
Radial
18.150 cumel
Installed capacity for hydro Power 12 M.W.
25
Levels:
River Bed
Minimum Draw down level
Spillway crest
F.R.L.
H.F.L.
431.21m
455.98m
455.98m
463.90 M
465.59 M
Figure 4: Satellite view shows the catchment area of Jaikwadi
Dam (Nathsagar Reservoir) at Paithan
26
Figure 4.1: Photograph shows the close view of the Jaikwadi dam
(Nathsagar Reservoir)
Confronted with such a critical analysis, technocrats have
contemplated number of indirect benefits; fabricating justification for
the project. Without this project the city of Aurangabad and industrial
areas at Jalna and Aurangabad would have been deprived of water
supply. Official papers showed that only 2% of the total live storage
(116 MCM) is reserved for the urban water supply and actually only
1% (52 MCM) water is drawn by the city and industrial areas. A
series of large and medium dams were planned upstream of Jaikwadi
during the last two decades. Dams like Gangapur, Mula, Bam Bahuli
and Mukane on Godavari and its tributaries have left Jaikwadi with
27
very little chance of getting water storage beyond 15-20% of total live
storage capacity.
With growing urbanization and industrialization, peripheral
aquatic ecosystems come to occupy the prime areas with a very high
land value. With the promised volume of water being not impounded
every consequent year, stretches of low lying land are often escape
submergence and are reclaimed for cash-crop farming by the adjacent
farmers who use abundant pesticides and fertilizers. This authorized
reclamation effectively changes the morphology of water body.
Similarly, whenever water line recedes during summer or due to
inadequate monsoon, encroachment on the reservoir bed by
unauthorized settlers is always a possibility in the prevailing socio-
political environment. Soil and sand erosion due to excessive use of
sand in construction activity in the catchment generates a lot of silt
which, along with the surface runoff, ultimately ends up into Godavari
river & Nathsagar Reservoir. Similarly, the traditional festivals like
Ganesh and Durga Pooja conclude by immersion of massive idols
made of clay, plaster of Paris etc. in the river which flow down into
the river & dam. Apart from tons of silt, other things like paints,
pigments, wooden and iron frames etc. are also added by the Kham
river flowing in from the Aurangabad city.
Sources of Pollution:
Major causes for water quality degradation are categorically
mentioned known as point sources and nonpoint sources of pollution.
1. Point sources of pollution:
Domestic waste water
Industrial waste water
2. Non-point sources of pollution:
28
Rural and Slum population, Open defecation, garbage
etc.
Agricultural Run-off
Storm water
Religious & traditional activities.
Domestic as well as industrial activities are important sources
for pollution during flow of the Rivers. Domestic sources as compare
to industrial sources exceed substantially in-terms of organic load
addition into the River. It is general tendency of human kind is to
situate near the water bodies. The disadvantage of having human
habitats on the bank of River or near the water bodies is polluting
Rivers or water bodies by human population. The water is polluting
by addition of various kinds of materials, solid waste, discharging of
sewage water into the flow of water. Water is not only polluting by
direct discharge but also indirect discharges which seriously affect the
aquatic biota as well as degrade the quality of water for various
consumption uses.
The presence of heavy metals in environment is a potential
problem to water and soil quality due to their high toxicity to plant,
animal, and human life. Moreover, heavy metals cannot be destroyed
chemically as organic pollutants. Therefore among all the pollutants,
heavy metals are most dangerous one as these are non – biodegradable
and persist in environment. These enter into the water resources
through both natural and anthropogenic sources. More attention is
being given to the potential health hazards posed by heavy metals.
Toxic metals cause toxicity to organisms even at ppm level of
concentration. Heavy metals are natural components of the earth's
crust. To a small extent they enter our bodies via food, drinking water
29
and air. Heavy metal poisoning could result from drinking-water
contamination, high ambient air concentrations near emission sources,
or intake via the food chain. Heavy metals are dangerous because
these tend to bioaccumulate. Bioaccumulation means an increase in
the concentration of a chemical in an organism over time, compared to
its concentration in the environment. Compounds accumulate in living
systems when these are taken up and are stored faster than these are
broken down i.e. metabolized or excreted. Heavy metals may enter a
water supply through industrial or consumer wastes releasing heavy
metals into streams, lakes, rivers, and groundwater. Unlike organic
pollutants, heavy metals, being non-biodegradable pose a different
kind of challenge for remediation.
Biological diversity provides the basis for life on earth. The
work on trace metal movement in food chain and food web, and their
bioaccumulation and bio-concentration clearly points out the
possibility of trace metal role in enhanced physiological susceptibility
of aquatic biota to sudden changes in physicochemical environment
due to pollution. A problem of heavy metal pollution associated with
areas of intense industries, but it also can originate from natural
geological weathering, processing of ores, use of metals, landfill
waste, livestock, animal and human excretions, urban run-off and re-
use of drainage water and sewage effluents. The uses of metal coating,
pesticides, fertilizers, etc. in agriculture are the other sources by which
heavy metals enter water. They enter through leaching, diffusion and
infiltration.
Nathsagar Reservoir is located in the Jurisdiction of Paithan
town & the town has historical importance since long ago. This town
is emerged as religious place hence all traditional and religious
30
activity had been done on the bank of River Godavari. The catchments
area of the river is highly occupied by small villages and agriculture
purposes. But now days it has been polluted due to different reasons.
On the bank of Godavari River there are many pollution sources like
Local nalla meets directly into the Godavari River, worship or
immerging material, body burning ash etc. merge into the Godavari
River, agriculture wastages, chemical fertilizer, pesticides, ash
detergents and soap wasters. The said river & dam is surrounded by
industrial zones, which might be contributing for pollutions of the
water in it. All these activities have been resulted in altering the
physiochemical nature and quality of water in the river, which
ultimately affect the diversity, and density of biomass in the water
bodies. This water bodies is the main source of water for drinking,
agricultural, fish farming and different domestic purposes of Paithan
Taluka and Aurangabad district. The changes in water characteristic
of the river and the impact of heavy metals on commercially
important species ecosystem and their many fold hazardous effect on
them; the present study has been focused to understand the water
quality of river Godavari at Nathsagar Reservoir.
STUDY AREA
Earlier studies were carried out by the various researchers. They
studied on water quality of Godavari River and showed that there are
various lotic areas in upper and lower Godavari River in Marathwada.
The level of water in most of the areas are much decreased in April,
May, June and period of August to January these areas are full of
water. Though the fish populations and other macro invertebrates
populations considerably decreases, most of the areas still show
abundances of aquatic plants benthic population even in summer
31
season during low level of water. The study was carried out seasonally
during the year 2009 to 2012 by collecting water samples from
different stations at the Nathsagar Reservoir of the Godavari River.
Three sampling sites were selected for the study and first sampling
site is at in side of dam near main gate, second sampling site is 250
mtrs away from sampling point of dam at downstream of Paithan and
third sampling site is 1.5 km away from sampling point of dam at
upstream of Paithan. The present study covered the stretch of the
Godavari river at Nathsagar Reservoir only.
Figure 5: Shows Locations of sampling stations on River
Godavari at Nathsagar Reservoir
The use of water in the world has increased by more than 35
times over the past three centuries. With a high priority for the
protection of water resources and concurrent legislation, protecting
and preserving the water resources of the land for future generation
becomes plansible. A scheme of study encompassing all following
32
objectives provides the framework for the present investigation. Water
samples were collected from three different sites of the Nathsagar
Reservoir and subjected to physicochemical analysis along with heavy
metal analysis. Heavy metal distribution in Godavari River is
considerably influenced by the tropical features of the location and by
human activities. The industrial units located along the banks of the
river discharge treated and untreated effluents into the river. River
Godavari is thus of considerable social, economic and commercial
importance. Since the characteristics of Godavari river system are
greatly influenced by the monsoonal cycle, a seasonal study is
expected to throw light on the behavior of physicochemical
parameters and metals within the study area.
The study was carried out with the following objectives:
1. To evaluate the water quality of River Godavari at
Nathsagar Reservoir.
2. To explore Physico-chemical aspects of the Godavari River
at Nathsagar Reservoir to assess the quality of water.
3. To study the aquatic biodiversity in the river.
4. To quantify and study the seasonal distribution of heavy
metals in the water samples collected from three different
sampling sites to evaluate water quality during various
seasons.
5. To study the uptake of heavy metals on aquatic biota.
6. To develop the mathematical model and to assess the
contribution of different physicochemical parameters of
water samples using Multiple Linear Regression
Analysis.
33
A scheme of study encompassing all these objectives provides
the framework for the present investigation. Water samples were
collected from the Nathsagar Reservoir and subjected to heavy metal
analysis along with physicochemical analysis. Since the
characteristics of Godavari river system are greatly influenced by the
monsoonal cycle, a seasonal study is expected to throw light on the
physic-chemical parameters aspect and behavior of metals within the
study area and to assess the quality of water at Nathsagar Reservoir.
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