Assessment of Water Quality: A Study of Godavari and Krishna River Basin in Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

This study focuses on the assessment of water quality in the Godavari and Krishna rivers in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, India. Water pollution is a critical global problem with serious consequences arising from contamination of water bodies. Major contributors to water pollution include domestic sewage, agricultural waste, population growth, and urbanization. Natural processes such as soil weathering, rainfall, and erosion also affect water quality. In Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, an investigation of the Godavari and Krishna rivers revealed significant contamination, mainly due to domestic wastewater. The main parameters indicating pollution include HCO, Ca, Cl, F, K, Mg, Na, NO₃^- and SO₄^2- ions, in addition to electrical conductivity (EC), pH, sodium adsorption rate (SAR), total hardness, and total alkalinity. According to the Brown classification method, water quality is categorized into five classes: Excellent, Good, Poor, Very Poor, and Unfit for consumption. The study found that water quality at sampling stations such as Arangaon, Bhitkewadi, Ghodegaon, Ghogaraonkari, Ghotan, Jakhangaon and Takalikazi was excellent. Stations such as Ambikhalsa, Bote, Devlali, Jamkhed, Rahata, Shirasgaon and Shrigonda had good water quality. However, stations at Banpimpri, Chandanpuri, Ghargaon, Jamkhed, Khosepuri, Kokangaon, LoniPravarnagar, Rassin and Takalibhan had poor water quality. Notably, water quality at Supe was very poor and Dahigaon was unfit for drinking, containing heavy metals, pesticides and faecal matter. This study highlights the immediate need for an action plan to reduce pollution and safeguard water quality in these vital rivers. These findings emphasize the importance of continuous monitoring and intervention strategies to ensure the sustainability of the Godavari and Krishna Rivers.