• BRAJ NANDAN KUMAR
• SUNIL KUMAR CHOUDHARY

In the present study, an attempt was made to study water quality and the phytoplankton diversity index at eight sampling station of the River Ganga in 180km stretch from Munger to Manihari, Bihar in pre and post-monsoon. Various water quality parameters including ambient temperature, water temperature, total dissolved solid, conductivity, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, free carbon dioxide, bicarbonate, total hardness, chloride, phosphate-phosphorus, nitrate- nitrogen, COD and BOD were analyzed. Turbidity, total hardness, COD and BOD were above the permissible limit. Water quality parameters varies with Ambient Temperature 23.5-33°C and 13.4-29.5°C, Water Temperature 24.1-25°C and 17-24.3°C, Turbidity 5.6-17.7NTU and 12.4-29.9NTU, Conductivity 271-395µs and 222-383µs, TDS 139-201mg/l and 113-195mg/l , pH 7.5- 8.2 and 6.4-8.8, DO 6-9.6mg/l and 4.5-9.6mg/l, FCO2 6-70mg/l and 24-80mg/l, HCO3- 32-44mg/l and 26-40mg/l, TH 126-160mg/l and 120-170mg/l, Cl- 15.98-27.99mg/l and 9.99-19.99mg/l, PO4-p 0.054-0.084mg/l and 0.05-0.086mg/l , NO3-N 0.041-0.047mg/l and 0.040-0.046mg/l, COD 38.9-69.6mg/l and 12.31-44.8mg/l, and BOD 0.8-2.8mg/l and 0.4-7.4mg/l in pre and post-monsoon respectively. A total of 57 genera and158 species of phytoplankton have been identified in pre and post-monsoon at all eight sampling station. According to pollution index of algal genera (Palmer, 1969), the index value was 32 indicating of organic pollution. Nygaard (1949) indices showed the values of chlorophycean and cyanophycean were eutrophic nature of water body while the euglenophycean and diatoms showed oligotrophic nature of water body. Shannon-Weaver diversity index (Sampling station first- 1.577-5.15, Sampling station second-1.022-1.0675, sampling station third- 1.293-1.675, sampling station fourth- 4.013-5.678, sampling station fifth-7.902-8.631, sampling station sixth- 1.111-1.675, sampling station seventh- 1.022-1.201and sampling station eighth 0.117-0.195) was applied to surface phytoplankton to study the water quality status of the River Ganga from Munger to Manihari receiving industrial effluents, fertilizers from agricultural lands, domestic sewage of municipal area and other sources.

Ganga River, Palmer indices, Nygaard indices, Shannon-Weaver index, Phytoplankton, water quality, pollution.

"PHYTOPLANKTON AS INDEX OF WATER QUALITY WITH REFERENCE TO POLLUTION OF THE GANGA RIVER FROM MUNGER TO MANIHARI, BIHAR (INDIA)", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 7, page no.236-244, July-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1807635.pdf

"PHYTOPLANKTON AS INDEX OF WATER QUALITY WITH REFERENCE TO POLLUTION OF THE GANGA RIVER FROM MUNGER TO MANIHARI, BIHAR (INDIA)", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 7, page no. pp236-244, July-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1807635.pdf