ASSESSMENT OF WATER QUALITY IN SAFILGUDA LAKE,HYDERABAD USING WATER QUALITY INDEXRohini A. and Manikya Reddy P.Abstract In the present study,Water Quality Index (WQI) was used to assess the quality of water in Safilguda lake.Safilguda lake was the source of drinking for the Nawabs and British authorities and was also the source ofirrigation to the farmers. But today the agricultural fields have turned into housing colonies and multistory complexes which led to the deterioration of lake water by direct entry of sewage into the lake. Threesampling stations were selected within the lake for the collection of surface water samples at monthlyintervals for a period of one year. The water samples were analyzed for various physico-chemical parametersby following the standard procedures. For calculating WQI, ten physico-chemical parameters wereconsidered such as pH, alkalinity, chlorides, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, nitrates, sulphates, totaldissolved solids and dissolved oxygen. From the water quality index, the lake water quality was determined.On the basis of WQI classification, the water quality status ratings clearly indicates that the Safilguda lakehas poor water quality due to the discharge of untreated domestic waste water from the surroundingresidents and religious activities like immersion of Ganesh idols made up of plaster of paris and the lakewateris unsuitable for drinking, domestic and recreational purposes. The water quality rating study also exhibitseutrophic condition of the lake. |