WATER QUALITY AND PHYTOPLANKTON OF RIVER GANDAK, BIHAR (INDIA)BRAJ NANDAN KUMAR AND SUNIL KUMAR CHOUDHARYAbstract Water quality and algal species have been analyzed at 21 sampling stations of river Gandak in 331 km stretch from the point of entry of the river in India at Valmikinagar in Bihar to point of confluence with river Ganga near Hazipur in Bihar. The river water quality is somewhat egraded in last 43 km stretch of the river compared to upland stretch. pH values indicated the river water as neutral to moderately alkaline. The variations in conductivity, total dissolved solids, total hardness, chloride, phosphate and nitrate were not significant in the river stretch investigated. Hardness values suggest the river water as moderately hard. The turbidity values increased apparently in the last 23 km river segment. COD increased in the last 43 km stretch of the river water compared to upland stretch. Water Quality Index of various physico-chemical parameters revealed that the water of all 21 sampling points was not fit for human consumption as it was under the category of poor and very poor. Seventy five (75) freshwater algal species were recorded from collections made from all sampling stations of River Gandak. These species belong to 38 genera. Diatoms formed the largest group with 37 species followed by green algae with 24 species. All these species are being reported for the first time from River Gandak (India Side).
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