Author: Subharaj Paul & Dr. Koomkoom Khawas
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/PP/020300011
Abstract: This study investigates the seasonal variation of water quality in the Ichamati River at Basirhat, a transboundary river system that sustains farming, fishing, domestic use, and small-scale industries. The ecological health of the river is vital for livelihoods, yet it is increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures and natural fluctuations. To evaluate its physico-chemical dynamics, water samples were collected monthly from three zones—upstream (Zone 1), midstream (Zone 2), and downstream (Zone 3)—between February 2022 and February 2023. Parameters including temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, alkalinity, hardness, chloride, nitrate, phosphate, sulphate, and salinity were analyzed using standard methods. The results reveal clear seasonal cycles: summer months recorded high temperatures, low DO, and increased BOD and COD, reflecting organic load stress; monsoon months showed peaks in turbidity, nutrient concentrations, and conductivity due to runoff; and winter months exhibited partial recovery but increased salinity and sulphate accumulation. Spatially, Zone 1 displayed the most stable water quality, Zone 2 moderate variability with episodic inputs, and Zone 3 the greatest instability, characterized by low DO, high organic and chemical demand, rising nutrient levels, and elevated salinity. These patterns underscore the ecological vulnerability of downstream stretches, where fish diversity is at greatest risk. Seasonal stresses and anthropogenic influences jointly drive fluctuations, threatening aquatic biodiversity, fisheries, agriculture, and domestic water use. The study concludes that the Ichamati River at Basirhat is under mounting ecological stress, with Zone 3 particularly degraded, and highlights the urgent need for continuous monitoring, effluent control, sustainable agricultural practices, and targeted conservation measures. Safeguarding water quality is essential to sustain fish populations, ecosystem services, and the socio-economic well-being of communities dependent on this river system.
Keywords: Ichamati River, Ecological Health, Anthropogenic Pressures, Natural Fluctuations, Physico-Chemical Dynamics.
Page No: 77-91