Monitoring and Assessment of Subarnarekha River Water Quality Using Water Quality Index

Subarnarekha river is the lifeline of tribal communities and fishing communities, residing on the riverbanks and their life and livelihood is affected by the river’s pollution. The purpose of this study is to determine the water quality status of Subarnarekha River in Ranchi. River water samples were analyzed for physio-chemical parameters such as pH, Turbidity, DO, BOD3, Total hardness, Alkalinity, Chloride, Phosphorus and Chromium. After the physio-chemical analysis, Water Quality Index (WQI) was established for these 9 physio-chemical parameters by following the weighted arithmetic method. Water samples were collected from 8 different sampling locations from the month of January 2024 to May 2024. Subarnarekha river water quality falls between the category of excellent to acceptable as per WQI, as it ranged between 6.76 - 26.4. The WQI value of Site 1 and Site 2 falls under the excellent category throughout the observation period, expect in the month of April; water is fit for drinking, bathing and aquatic life.