Journal of Fisheries and Life Sciences

Author(s): Kalpana Srivastava, Jha D. N., Sandeep Mishra, Vijay Kumar, Das S. C. S., Absar Alam, R. S. Srivastava and Basanta Kumar Das

Abstract: Anthropogenic activities put remarkable pressure on the ecological conditions and sustainability of many aquatic ecosystems. The present study was to understand the impact of mass bathing during a short period (two months) on the various physico-chemical parameters of water quality and planktonic fauna and flora of the river Ganga at Prayagraj. Dissolved Oxygen revealed sharp decline of oxygen in the downstream centre, after mass bathing. Chemical Oxygen demand, Total Dissolved Solids, Chloride and Specific Conductivity increased after every snan gradually. During mass bathing period reduction in Bacillariophycae percentage and increase in Chlorophyceae was a prominent feature. On the advancement of mass bathing, increases in the number of planktonic groups as well as increase in number of taxa were recorded due to the increase in organic nutrients owing to anthropogenic activities. Palmer algal genera organic pollution index varied between 12 and 19 indicating medium pollution. COD was found to be significantly different between before and after mass bathing