IMPACT OF RELIGIO-TOURISTIC ACTIVITIES ON THE WATER QUALITY OF GANGA RIVER AND SOLID WASTE GENERATION WITHIN HARIDWAR CITY, INDIA

Present study was conducted to find out the impact of heavy gathering of pilgrims and their activities on the water quality of Ganga River and generation of solid waste during selected festive days round the year of 2010 and 2011. Some selected physico-chemical parameters viz. temperature, pH, transparency, turbidity, total dissolved solids, chlorides, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, sodium and potassium were monitored and amount of solid waste also analyzed during the study period. It was found that all the parameters showed in the Har-ki-Pauri (site II). The relative differences for temperature was 12.99% higher, pH 1.62% higher, transparency 37.08% lower, TDS 27.28% higher, DO 7.8% lower, BOD 17.24% higher, chlorides 20% higher, sodium 6.72% higher and potassium 5.05% higher at Har-ki-Pauri as compared to reference site Sapta Rishi Ashram Ghat (site-I). The pH showed minimum (1.62%) relative difference while transparency showed maximum (37.08%) relative difference at both of these study sites. Solid waste was segregated in two categories viz. biodegradable and non-biodegradable. The relative difference in the amount of Biodegradable waste was 500.42% higher and for non-biodegradable was 178.84% higher at the Harki- Pauri in comparison to reference site Sapta Rishi ashram Ghat.