Journal of Environmental Biology

Analysis of water quality parameters of River Ganga

during Maha Kumbha, Haridwar, India

Naveen Kumar Arora*, Sakshi Tewari and Sachin Singh

Department of Environmental Microbiology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow - 226 025, India

*Corresponding Author email : nkarora_net@rediffmail.com

Publication Data

Paper received:

22 June 2011

Revised received:

09 February 2012

Re-revised received:

30 June 2012

Accepted:

08 August 2012

Abstract

This study represents the summary of the water quality of River Ganga during mass bathing in Haridwar during Maha Kumbha of 2010 in terms of microbiological and molecular analysis. The sample was collected from River Ganga during Makar Sankranti to Shakh Poornima and assessed for fecal indicator bacteria Escherichia coli along with Standard Plate Count (SPC) to determine total bacterial load in the river. Of all the nine days of sample collection (mass bathing days) results on the main royal bath (Baisakhi) displayed maximum SPC (log 6.79 cfu ml^-1) and most probable number (210 and 150 MPN 100 ml^-1 for total and fecal coli form, respectively). The water was extremely contaminated and not suitable for drinking on Somvati Amavasya, Maghi Poornima, Maha Shivratri and Baisakhi. The results clearly indicated that the mass bathing coupled with ritual activities performed by bathers was most probable cause of increased values of different parameters. The polymerase chain reaction analysis targeting malate dehydrogenase (mdh) gene proved to be more rapid and sensitive than classical culture techniques.

Key words

Maha Kumbha, River Ganga, Escherichia coli, Malate dehydrogenase, Water quality

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