Current World Environment

Introduction

Lakes are very useful aquatic resources. Lake water can be used for various purposes such as agriculture, aquaculture, livestock rearing and for various domestic use also. Review of literature reveals that several workers have carried out the work related to the physicochemical parameters of lakes in relation to various aspects in India and abroad. Water Quality of Pariyej lake in Gujarat was found poor and not safe for human consumption due to the low Water Quality Index.¹ Pollution of lake water occurs as ground water in the area around it is polluted due to the lack of proper sewage and waste disposal practices.² The ecosystem of lake gets damaged severely due to degradation of eutrophication. This may occur due to inappropriate planning of water management.³ Timely monitoring and proper management of water bodies can reduce pollution which can maintain water quality.⁴ Physicochemical factors of the lake water affect the insect community in their vicinity.⁵

Some researchers have carried out work on water quality index of ex-mining ponds, lakes, natural ponds, artificial ponds, pits, wetlands, water quality and pollution index. In water quality monitoring physicochemical parameters are very important. The water quality index gets affected due to atmospheric activities and the presence of heavy metals in lake water.⁶ Water quality index is a useful approach to categorize water quality into different classes like bad and medium.⁷ Regular monitoring of variation in physicochemical parameters can prevent the source of pollution of the lake and it will also help to maintain the biodiversity and recreation.⁸ Very few researchers have done the work in Maharashtra and especially in Ahmednagar district. Sewage effluents can cause contamination and eutrophication of lakes. Seasonal limnological investigations can be useful for tracking the water quality.⁹ Pit lake water quality have the potential of self-improvement and restoration with seasonal variation.¹⁰ The level of dissolved oxygen above the permissible limit along with other physicochemical parameters within the permissible limit indicates the healthy condition of the lake which makes the water quality safe for domestic and agricultural use.¹¹ The inflow of industrial waste and sewage water into the lake water is responsible for water pollution. It can be prohibited by the use of barricades and filters around the lake.¹² Physical, chemical and biological methods can be used for the restoration of lakes and to solve the water crisis.¹³

The main objective of this study is to find out the water quality of small lakes in the plateau region of Sangamner taluka of Ahmednagar district for its sustainable use. Ahmednagar district especially the plateau area of Sangamner taluka always experiences a scarcity of water. The rural economy of this area depends mainly upon livestock rearing and agriculture. A review of the literature suggests that such type of research work on seasonal variation has not been done on the lakes selected for the present study. It was observed that sustainable use of these lakes is not in practice. Assessing the water quality of small lakes in the study area is the key step for its sustainable use which can be achieved by regular monitoring of its physicochemical parameters. Considering the above mentioned facts, it was necessary to undertake this type of research work in the area selected for the present research work.

Materials and Methods

For the present study, four small lakes of Dhorwadi, Pokhari-Baleshwar, Pimpalgaon Depa and Pemgiri villages (Fig 1) in the Sangamner Taluka of Ahmednagar District of Maharashtra State were selected. Water samples were collected over a period of one year from July 2018 to June 2019 in representative months of the season viz. July in Monsoon season, December in Winter season and April in Summer season between 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. from the lakes selected for study and physicochemical analysis were done. The temperature was recorded with the help of thermometer, pH and T.D.S. were recorded by digital pH meter and T.D.S. meters respectively on the spot. Water samples were collected and dissolved oxygen was fixed by using solutions Winkler A and Winkler B on the spots by using DO bottles. After coming to the laboratory, the dissolved oxygen was estimated by using Winkler’s method. Hardness, Alkalinity and dissolved Carbon dioxide were estimated in the laboratory by methods given by APHA.¹⁴

Figure 1: Map of India, Maharashtra and Sangamner showing Study Sites Click here to view figure

Result and Discussion

The results are tabulated in Table-1. The dissolved oxygen was found in the range of 5.1 mg/L to 7.9 mg/L. The minimum was at Dhorwadi in the summer season and the maximum was at Pokhari Baleshwar in the winter season. The dissolved Carbon dioxide was in the range of 32 mg/L to 48 mg/L. The minimum value was at Pemgiri in monsoon season and the maximum value was at Pokhari Baleshwar and Pemgiri in the summer season. The alkalinity was in the range of 120 mg/L to 330 mg/L. The minimum was at Dhorwadi in the monsoon season. And the maximum was at Pokhari Baleshwar in the summer season. The hardness was in the range of 58 mg/L to 140 mg/L. The minimum was at Dhorwadi in monsoon season and the maximum was at Dhorwadi and Pimpalgaon Depa in the summer season. The temperature was in the range of 21⁰ C to 32⁰ C. The minimum temperature was recorded at Pimpalgaon Depa in the winter season and the maximum was at Dhorwadi in the summer season. The T. D. S was in the range of 170 to 300. The minimum value was at Dhorwadi in the monsoon season. The pH was found in the range of 7.1 to 8.4. The minimum was at Dhorwadi and Pemgiri in monsoon season and maximum at Pimpalgaon Depa in the summer season. Seasonal variation in physicochemical parameters in different seasons at different spots are graphically represented in Fig 2. From the graphical representation, we observed that water temperature and dissolved oxygen showed an inverse relationship with each other.

Table 1: Result of Physico-chemical parameters of lake water with seasonal variation

Figure 2: Graphs of Physicochemical Parameters with Seasonal Variations Click here to view figure

From the literature study, it is also found that minimum temperature was in the winter season and the maximum temperature was in the summer season. This is due to the effect of atmospheric temperature on water temperature. An adverse relationship between the dissolved oxygen and the water temperature was observed.¹⁵ Water quality of the lake can be improved and maintained by pitching and fencing the lake which prohibits the anthropogenic activities along the lake.¹⁶ Investigations and strict vigilance of lakes are required to prevent heavy metal pollution and to maintain the water quality of the lake.¹⁷ Discharge of agricultural and domestic wastes influence the lake water quality.¹⁸ Physicochemical parameters of lake water within the permissible limit can support the stability and quality of the lake water ecosystem which promotes primary productivity.¹⁹ Many manmade activities cause water pollution which creates problems in aquatic ecosystems by damaging them.²⁰ Global warming affects the climatic conditions which affect the aquatic organisms in the ecosystems mainly due to temperature variation.²¹ Researchers observed that the water quality of lake was better in the winter season and degraded in monsoon season.²²

Conclusion

In the present study, seasonal variation in the physicochemical parameters was observed at different spots. As the pH of the water was alkaline and dissolved oxygen was found in the permissible limit, we suggest that water quality can be maintained by sustainable use of the lake water. This can be achieved by regular monitoring, proper planning and management for sustainable use of lake water. Also, near Pemgiri lake famous largest banyan tree in Maharashtra is located. Temple of goddess Pemadevi is on the historical Pemgiri fort and at Pokhri-Baleshwar lake temple of Lord Shiva is on the top of the hill. Both these lakes can be utilized for recreational purposes. These two spots have great potential to get developed as tourist spots. This can boost the economy of this semiarid plateau area of Ahmednagar district.

Acknowledgement

The authors are thankful to Honorable Principal and Dr. Vandana Bhavare Head Department of Zoology, S. N. arts, D. J. M. Commerce and B. N. S. Science College Sangamner, Dist. Ahmednagar.

Funding Sources

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Conflict of Interest

The authors do not have any conflict of interest.

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