An assessment of the pollution load in Radha Kunda, District Mathura (India) and its effect on the population of selected planktons

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July 12, 2017

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Radha Kunda', a holy water reservoir of religious importance in District Mathura (India). Millions of pilgrims visit this reservoir every year and take bath in it. The water of the reservoir is severely polluted especially due to domestic and sewage waste water. An attempt was therefore made to assess the pollution load in the Kunda and finding out its effect on some selected planktons during January to December 2016. Important key parameters such as BOD, ammonia, chlorides, sulphides, sulphates and coliform population was examined every month. Simultaneously the population of some planktons like, Vorticella, Paramecium, Difflugia, Ulothrix and Spirogyra was noted from the same water samples. A correlation was tried to develop between the degree of pollution load and fluctuations in the population of the test organisms. It was found that the ‘Radha Kunda’ reservoir is grossly polluted. The level of pollution becomes the most severe in summers. The test organisms, especially Vorticella and Difflugia spp. exhibited a severe negative trend with the rise in pollution load.