Limnology

Study on Ganga At Uluberia

— by Bishruti Chowdhury, November 5, 2021 —

Introduction The river Ganges also known as Ganga is the Life of West Bengal as well as India due to the wide ranges of services giving by the river Ganga. Now a days, Ganga at West Bengal is becoming the one of the polluted rivers containing the most of the toxic elements and contaminants at a high rate due to the sewage and wastes releasing from the towns and industries at its banks.

Location

Uluberia, Howrah, West Bengal

Present status

Water quality

There are some data of three months are given below which are collected from West Bengal Water Pollution Control Board.

Endangered biodiversity

Rapid biodiversity of the Ganga had revealed that the distribution and density of key aquatic species such as the Gangetic Dolphin,Wallago attu, hilsa, the gharial and the mugger had in earlier years, significantly reduced because the loss of suitable habitat conditions, and change in the river’s morphology due to the construction of dams and barrages, bank alteration, agriculture and sand mining.

Pollution

Ganga is polluted by several heavy metals. These toxic heavy metals entering the environment may result in bioaccumulation and biomagnifications. These are not degradable in nature so these accumulate in the animal as well as human bodies to a very high toxic amount leading to undesirable effects beyond a certain limit. Heavy metals in riverine environment represent an abiding threat to human health. Exposure to heavy metals has been linked to developmental retardation, kidney damage, various cancers, and even death in instances of very high exposure. The following review article presents the findings of the work carried out by the various researchers in the past on the heavy metal pollution of river Ganga.

Prevention

What should we stop?

Ganga contains high coliforms, BOD & suspended solids. So firstly, we should avoid releasing construction waste and the untreated sewage in to lakes. Avoid throwing solid waste, plastic, things made up with metals. Avoid harmful untreated chemicals, hot water and is released from industries.

What should do?

Adsorption: It is the process of solid holds molecules of liquid or solute as a thin film.

Chlorination: It is the most widely used disinfectant for the treatment of waste water.

Ion exchange: It is the process of demineralization.

Chemical extraction :Separation of various water solvent.

Membrane separation :Separation of various molecules through membrane, it depends on the pore size and molecular size.

Electrokinetics :It is a procedure of a low-voltage direct-current electric field is applied across a section of contaminated soil to move contaminants.

Bioleaching: Removes heavy metals.

Phytoremediation: Application of plants to remove wastes from water.

Remediation by microbes.