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J. Env. Bio-Sci., 2018: Vol. 32 (1): 15-23 ISSN 0973-6913 (Print), ISSN 0976-3384 (On Line)

SPATIAL AND SEASONAL VARIATION IN PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF

GODAVARI RIVER WATER AT AMBAD REGION, MAHARASHTRA
D. D. Bhutekar, S. B. Aher1* and M. G. Babare2
Department of Environmental Science, Arts, Commerce and Science College, Ambad, Dist- Jalna - 431204, India
1
Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal - 462038, India
2
Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Arts, Science and Commerce College, Naldurg, Osmanabad - 413 602, India.
*Corresponding author: satishbaher@yahoo.com

Received: 11-03-2018 Accepted: 21-03-2018

The River Godavari is the largest of the peninsular rivers and the second longest river in India next only to Ganga. River Godavari
serves as a source of water for drinking, domestic use, agricultural irrigation and industries in Ambad stretch. Present investigation
was carried out to study the monthly and seasonal variation in physico-chemical properties of water at Ambad stretch during
2012-2014. Five different locations were identified and water samples were collected from each sampling station in every month
during June 2012 to May 2014. The collected water samples were studied for temperature, turbidity, pH, total dissolved solids
(TDS), total alkalinity (TA), total hardness, phosphate, nitrate, chlorides, dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD)
and chemical oxygen demand (COD) as per the standard methods. The results of the present investigation revealed that, the water
of Godavari River at Ambad stretch was found moderately polluted at site C and A, whereas the average quality of water was
satisfactory with respect to the day today activities except direct consumption. The identified sources of water pollution included
discharge of sewage water, religious activity, agriculture runoff, nitrogenous waste from farms and industrial effluents.
Key words: Godavari River, water pollution, water quality.

Of all the natural resources, water is unarguably the most
essential and precious. It is the elixir of life, a precious gift of
nature to mankind and millions of other species living on the
earth. Water resources comprising of surface water (river and
lakes), ground water, and marine and coastal waters support
all living organisms including human beings. Surface Rivers
have always been the lifelines of development and with the
course of time have borne the impacts of development and
industrialization in the form of abstractions of water besides
other wastewater releases. The quality of water in any
ecosystem provides significant information about the available
resources for supporting life in that ecosystem. Good quality
of water resources depends on a large number of physico-
chemical characteristics. Physico-chemical analyses of water
provides a good indicator of the quality of the aquatic system
and gives discrete information on the effects of pollutants
(Venkatesharaju et al., 2010).
The River Godavari is the largest of the peninsular rivers and
the second longest river in India next only to Ganga. It flows
across the Deccan Plateau from Western to Eastern Ghats
through Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh before emptying into
the Bay of Bengal. The river is considered to be one of the very
sacred rivers of India. It is often referred to as the 'Vridha Ganga'
NAAS Rating (2017)-4.43
or 'Dakshina Ganga'. The people believe that taking a holy dip
in the river relieves them from all the sins. Being the ultimate
sink of anything and everything drained through surface runoff,
the river has been subjected to considerable stress. As a result,
the water is being polluted by indiscriminate disposal of
sewage, industrial waste and plethora of human activities, which
affects its physico-chemical characteristics and microbiological
quality (Koshy and Nayar, 1999).
River Godavari serves as a source of water for drinking,
domestic use, agricultural irrigation and industries in Ambad
stretch. Therefore, present investigation was carried out to
study the physico-chemical properties of Godavari River water
at Ambad stretch during 2012-2014.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study area: Present investigation was carried out on Godavari
River water at Ambad Stretch starting from Paithan to
Shahagad. The total length of the Godavari River under present
study was around 12 km in which five different locations viz.
Paithan being the reference site (unpolluted), followed by
Balegaon, Gandhari, Shahagad-A and Shahagad-B were
identified for collecting the water samples (Table 1).
 BHUTEKAR, AHER AND BABARE (16)

Table 1: Details of sampling stations
Sampling Station Code Geographical Position
Paithan (Reference) R 19°29’08.3”N,75°22’40.8”E
Balegaon A 19°23’17.5”N,75°36’54.0”E
Gandhari B 19°22’05.4”N,75°40’21.5”E
Shahagad-A C 19°22’32.3”N,75°43’21.0”E
Shahagad –B D 19°22’35.4”N,75°43’29.5”E
Water sampling and analysis: Water samples were collected
from each sampling stations (Table 1) in first week of every
month during June 2012 to May 2014 in morning hours
(between 7.00 to 10.00 am). Water temperature was recorded
and dissolved oxygen was fixed at sampling site. The collected
water samples were analyzed in laboratory for different physical
and chemical parameters as per the standard methods (APHA,
2005; Trivedi and Goel, 1984). The parameters studied were
temperature, turbidity, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total
alkalinity (TA), total hardness, Phosphate, nitrate, chlorides,
dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and
chemical oxygen demand (COD).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The average results obtained from the analysis of the Godavari
River water sampled at different locations are presented in
Table 2.
Water temperature: The average water temperature was
observed between 23.3 and 23.6°C among different sampling
locations (Table 2). The monthly average temperature of the
Godavari River water at Ambad stretch ranged from 19.6°C in
December to 27.9°C in May followed by April (Table 3). The
seasonal variation in the water temperature was clearly observed
during the study. The lowest water temperature was observed
in winter season followed by monsoon. The highest temperature
(26.9°C) was observed in summer season (Table 3).
Temperature plays very important role in the physiological
behavior and distribution of aquatic organisms. The variation
in river water temperature usually depends on the season,
geographic location, ambient air temperature and chemical
reaction in a water body (Ahipathi and Puttaiah, 2006). It also
governs solubility of the oxygen, carbon dioxide, bicarbonates-
carbonates equilibrium (De, 2002). The catabolic energy
released in the form of heat during decomposition of organic
matter and respiration may lead to rise in water temperature
(Murthuzasab et al., 2010). The highest water temperature in
summer season especially in May month attributed to the
highest ambient air temperature (Zingde, 1981). Similar trend
of results were also reported by Trivedy et al. (1990),
Kathiresan (2001), Sawane (2002), Adebowale et al. (2002),
Petronella et al. (2009), Singh et al. (2010), Khinchi et al.
(2010), Sharma et al. (2011), Mithani et al. (2012) and Garnaik
et al. (2013).
Turbidity: Turbidity measures water clarity or the ability of
light to pass through water. In present investigation water

Table 2: Physico-chemical properties of Godavari River water at different sampling site

Temp Turbidity pH TDS TA TH PO4-3 NO3 - Cl- DO BOD COD
Sampling
Station
R 23.3 7.0 7.55 288.7 202.9 133.6 0.19 5.31 27.1 6.7 4.3 12.2
A 23.5 17.1 7.77 622.8 300.2 194.0 3.12 19.5 92.4 4.9 20.9 136.9
B 23.4 9.6 7.64 434.9 231.7 185.9 3.10 19.5 45.7 5.8 12.3 108.5
C 23.6 23.4 7.85 674.4 485.9 316.2 4.67 39.1 109.2 4.2 37.8 215.0
D 23.6 9.6 7.53 305.9 201.0 167.4 0.49 3.35 28.6 6.4 4.4 20.1
Min 23.3 7.0 7.53 288.7 201.0 133.6 0.19 3.35 27.1 4.2 4.3 12.2
Max 23.6 23.4 7.85 674.4 485.9 316.2 4.67 39.1 109.2 6.7 37.8 215.0
Mean 23.5 13.4 7.7 465.3 284.3 199.4 2.3 17.3 60.6 5.6 15.9 98.6
SD (±) 0.12 6.80 0.14 177.5 119.6 69.3 1.91 14.3 37.9 1.03 14.0 84.8
SEm 0.05 3.04 0.06 79.4 53.5 31.0 0.86 6.41 16.9 0.46 6.26 37.9
Note: All parameters are in mg l-1 except temperature (°C), turbidity (nephlometric turbidity unit i.e. NTU) and pH.
(17) SPATIAL AND SEASONAL VARIATION IN PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF GODAVARI RIVER WATER

turbidity was observed between 7.0 and 23.4 NTU among
different sampling sites (Table 2). The lowest average turbidity
was observed at reference location (R) followed by B and D
site. The highest turbidity was recorded for site C (23.4 NTU)
followed by site A (17.1 NTU). The monthly data recorded with
respect to the turbidity of water samples revealed that, it ranged
between 5.9 NTU and 26.4 NTU in different months (Table 3).
The seasonal data showed that, the water turbidity was found
highest in monsoon (24.7 NTU) season followed by winter (8.8
NTU) with least in summer (6.5 NTU) season. Surface-runoff,
stream flow and overland flow in natural waters increase the
turbidity levels in water. The high turbidity during rainy season
might be attributed to the inclusion of silt, clay and other
suspended particles in the water and contributed to the higher
turbidity values, while during winter and summer season
settlement of silt, clay resulted in lower turbidity of water
(Dagaonkar and Saksena, 1992; Garg et al., 2006). Similar
observations have also been reported by Kitt (2006), Yadav
and Kumar (2011), Sharma et al. (2011), Medudhula et al.
(2012) and Garnaik et al. (2011).
Table 3: Monthly data on different physico-chemical properties of Godavari River water
pH: The present investigation reflects the water pH was slightly
basic at all the sites and in all seasons during the study period
(Tables 2, 3 and 4). It ranged from 7.5 to 7.9. The pH in
monsoon season was found highest as compared to the
summer and winter season. In monsoon season the pH was
8.2, whereas a value of 7.4 was recorded for both winter and
summer seasons (Table 4). The mild alkaline nature of river
water attributed to the presence of CO2 in water as bicarbonate
(Azeez et al., 2000). The leaching of basic rock material by
rainwater and carried by surface runoff to river stream attributed
to the higher values of water pH during rainy season
(Lalparmawii, 2007). Similar observations have also been
reported by Adoni (1985), Singh (1995), Sivasubramani (1999),
Jakher (2002), Fakayode (2005), Saksena et al. (2008) and
Rosli et al. (2010).
Total dissolved solids (TDS): In the present investigation
TDS showed variation at all the sites during study period. The
TDS ranged between 288.7 mg l-1 and 674.4 mg l-1 among
different sampling locations (Table 2). The highest value of
TDS was observed at site C followed by site A (622.8 mg l-1).

Month Temp. Turbidity pH TDS TA TH PO 43- NO 3- Cl - DO BOD COD

June 23.5 23.1 8.0 513.2 241.3 180.7 2.6 18.9 52.3 5.3 19.4 84.4
July 23.1 23.6 8.2 523.5 251.0 188.3 2.9 19.5 55.6 5.1 19.8 89.2
Aug 22.7 25.8 8.3 537.1 258.9 194.1 3.2 20.2 57.8 5.2 20.4 91.8
Sept 23.3 26.4 8.3 537.2 261.7 205.7 2.9 21.0 59.3 5.1 20.8 94.3
Oct 21.2 10.6 7.2 432.3 272.0 231.7 2.4 17.5 65.5 6.7 16.8 93.7
Nov 19.8 9.0 7.3 389.1 267.7 206.8 1.9 16.8 63.3 7.0 13.7 88.9
Dec 19.6 8.3 7.5 396.0 279.3 180.7 1.9 15.0 64.0 6.8 14.5 87.3
Jan 20.8 7.3 7.5 411.7 288.5 193.5 1.7 15.4 61.1 6.6 13.7 102.4
Feb 25.9 6.8 7.5 431.4 310.9 191.3 2.0 15.6 59.7 5.0 13.1 110.2
Mar 26.5 7.3 7.3 429.5 316.2 203.8 1.9 16.2 63.1 4.7 12.3 112.3
Apr 27.4 5.9 7.3 486.2 330.9 208.8 2.1 15.9 62.8 4.8 13.2 113.7
May 27.9 6.0 7.6 496.9 333.7 207.7 2.2 16.0 62.5 4.9 13.4 114.3
Mean 23.5 13.4 7.7 465.3 284.3 199.4 2.3 17.3 60.6 5.6 15.9 98.6
Min 19.6 5.9 7.2 389.1 241.3 180.7 1.7 15.0 52.3 4.7 12.3 84.4
Max 27.9 26.4 8.3 537.2 333.7 231.7 3.2 21.0 65.5 7.0 20.8 114.3
SD (±) 2.90 8.55 0.42 55.95 31.50 14.36 0.49 2.06 3.84 0.90 3.28 11.32
SEm 0.84 2.47 0.12 16.15 9.09 4.15 0.14 0.59 1.11 0.26 0.95 3.27

Note: All parameters are in mg l-1 except temperature (°C), turbidity (nephlometric turbidity unit i.e. NTU) and pH.
 BHUTEKAR, AHER AND BABARE (18)

Similar to the site specific variation in TDS, the seasonal and
monthly variations were also observed in Godavari River water
(Table 3). The highest value of TDS was observed in monsoon
season (527.7 mg l-1) followed by summer and winter season
(Table 4). Total dissolved solids (TDS) are a measure, of the
amount of dissolved materials in the water and mainly contains
minerals (Senthilnathan et al., 2011). There was marked effect
of seasons on TDS as all sites showed high TDS in monsoon
and low TDS in winter and summer which might be attributed
to the addition of solids from runoff water. Tope (2008) reported
higher TDS values during rainy and autumn seasons. Similar
results were also reported by Masood and Krishnamurthy
(1990), Khatavkar and Trivedi (1992), Patka and Rao (1997),
Rao et al. (2003), Kirubavathy et al. (2005), Tiwari (2005), Nduka
et al. (2008), Moniruzzaman et al. (2009), Kataria and Kumar
(2010) and Imtiyaz et al. (2012).
Total alkalinity (TA): The alkalinity of water is its capacity to
neutralize acids. Alkalinity is the measure of buffering capacity
of the water. It is generally imparted by the salts of carbonates,
bicarbonates, phosphate, nitrates etc. (Yellavarthi, 2002). In
present investigation the TA ranged from 201.0 mg l-1 (site D)
to 485.9 mg l-1 (site C) among different sampling sites (Table
low during rainy season while studying physico-chemical
properties of Adyar River. The higher total alkalinity during
summer season might be attributed to the higher water
temperature which resulted in an increase in the rate of
decomposition and decrease in water level. Similarly, the
increase in total alkalinity due to various religious activities,
domestic waste and especially due to soaps and detergents
were also reported by Patil (2003). Similar trend of results
were also reported by Mithani et al. (2012).
Total hardness (TH): Hardness of water is a measure of its
capacity to produce lather with soap (Garnaik et al., 2013).
Total Hardness is an important parameter of water quality
whether it is used for domestic, industrial or agricultural
purposes (Jothivenkatachalam et al., 2010). In our study, the
TH ranged from 133.6 mg l-1 at site R to 316.2 mg l-1 at site C
(Table 2). The monthly data in Table 3 revealed that, the total
hardness ranged between 180.7 mg l-1 to 231.7 mg l-1 with an
average value of 199.4 mg l-1. The highest value of TH was
observed in winter followed by summer season whereas the
lowest TH was observed in monsoon season (Table 4). The
cations of calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese contribute
to the hardness of water (Shrivastava and Patil, 2002). The

Table 4: Seasonal variation in physico-chemical properties of Godavari River water

Season Temp. Turbidity pH TDS TA TH PO43- NO3 - Cl- DO BOD COD

Monsoon 23.1 24.7 8.2 527.7 253.2 192.2 2.9 19.9 56.3 5.2 20.1 89.9
Winter 20.3 8.8 7.4 407.3 276.9 203.2 2.0 16.2 63.5 6.8 14.7 93.1
Summer 26.9 6.5 7.4 461.0 322.9 202.9 2.1 15.9 62.0 4.8 13.0 112.6
Min 20.3 6.5 7.4 407.3 253.2 192.2 2.0 15.9 56.3 4.8 13.0 89.9
Max 26.9 24.7 8.2 527.7 322.9 203.2 2.9 19.9 63.5 6.8 20.1 112.6
SD 3.31 9.93 0.47 60.35 35.44 6.27 0.52 2.23 3.82 1.05 3.71 12.29
Sem 1.91 5.73 0.27 34.84 20.46 3.62 0.30 1.29 2.21 0.60 2.14 7.10
Note: All parameters are in mg l-1 except temperature (°C), turbidity (nephlometric turbidity unit i.e. NTU) and pH.

2). The average monthly data showed that, the total alkalinity
ranged between 241.3 mg l-1 and 333.7 mg l-1 in different months
(Table 3). As far as seasonal variation is concerned, the highest
TA was observed in summer followed by winter and monsoon
season (Table 4). In general the maximum values of total
alkalinity at all the sites were observed during summer and
minimum were recorded during monsoon season. Sankaran
(1988) also reported high values of alkalinity in summer and
widespread abundance of these metals in rock formations leads
often to very considerable hardness levels in surface and ground
waters (EPA, 2001). Similarly, the Ca and Mg that enter the
water bodies through residues of soaps, detergents and parent
bed rock materials made up of Ca, Mg and other metal ions
also significantly contributes to total hardness of water (Nanda,
2005). In present investigation, the total hardness was observed
higher in summer and winter while lower in monsoon season.
(19) SPATIAL AND SEASONAL VARIATION IN PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF GODAVARI RIVER WATER
The lower values of total hardness during rainy season attributed
to dilution on account of heavy precipitation. Our findings are
in conformity with the findings of Rajalakshmi and Shreelatha
(2005) who observed higher TH in summer than monsoon
season while studying physico-chemical properties of Gautami
River water. Similarly, Jain et al. (2004), Yadav and Kumar
(2011); and Garnaik et al. (2013) have also reported similar
results with respect to the seasonal variation in total hardness
of surface water.
Phosphate (PO43-) : The phosphate concentration in Godavari
River water at different sampling location ranged between 0.19
mg l-1 and 4.67 mg l-1 (Table 4). The highest phosphate
concentration was found at site C followed by site A and site
B. The seasonal mean biannual concentration of the phosphate
in Godavari River water ranged from 2.0 mg l-1 in winter season
to 2.9 mg l-1 in monsoon season (Table 4). Phosphorous is
widely used as an agricultural fertilizer and as a major
constituent of detergents, particularly those for domestic use.
Run-off and sewage discharges are thus important contributors
of phosphorus to surface waters (EPA, 2001). The higher
concentration of phosphate in monsoon season might be
attributed to the presence of heavy cultivation in the study
area which acted as source for phosphates. Similarly, animal
waste, agriculture waste and detergent in domestic wastewater
also contributed towards the observed increment in phosphates
(Anda et al., 2001). Sinha et al. (1998) have also reported
higher phosphate content in lower stretch of Ganga River during
monsoon season as compared to the summer and winter
season. Similar trend of results have also recorded by Koshy
et al. (2000) and Khound et al. (2012).
Nitrate (NO3-): Nitrate concentration in Godavari River water
sampled at different locations ranged between 3.35 mg l-1 and
39.1 mg l-1 with mean value of 17.3 mg l-1 (Table 4). The highest
concentration of nitrate was found at site C followed by site A
and B (19.5 mg l-1). The lowest concentration of nitrate was
observed at site D (3.35 mg l -1 ). The mean monthly
concentration of nitrate in water ranged from 15.0 mg l-1 and
21.0 mg l-1 in December and September months, respectively
with an average of 17.3 mg l-1 (Table 3). Similarly, the data in
Table 4 revealed that, the highest concentration of the nitrate
was observed during monsoon season (19.9 mgl-1) followed
by winter (16.2 mg l-1) and summer season (15.9 mg l-1). Nitrate
in surface water is an important factor for water quality
assessment (Jhones and Burt, 1993) which is mainly
contributed by waste discharges and artificial nitrogenous
fertilizers. However, bacterial oxidation and fixing of nitrogen
by plants also contribute to some extent (EPA, 2001). The
higher values of the nitrate in monsoon season were mainly
attributed to the nitrate rich runoff from agricultural fields and
large amount of contaminated sewage (Mithani et al., 2012).
Similar results were also reported by Lalparmawii (2007), Singh
and Gupta (2010) and Khound et al. (2012).
Chloride (Cl-):The chloride in Godavari River water ranged
from 60.6 mg l-1 to 109.2 mg l-1 at various sampling locations
(Table 2). The highest concentration of chlorides was observed
at site C followed by site A and site B. The average monthly
data in Table 3 revealed that the chloride concentration in
Godavari River water ranged between 52.3 mg l-1 and 65.5 mg
l-1 (Table 3). The seasonal variation in chloride concentration
in the river water revealed that it was highest in winter season
followed by summer and monsoon season (Table 4). Khound
et al. (2012) also observed higher concentration of chlorides in
dry season as compared to the wet seasons. The higher
chloride content in the dry seasons than those of the wet
seasons is mainly attributed to the dilution of water in rainy
season and evaporation of water in summer season (Adoni,
1985; Yardi, 1999). Our results are in conformity with those
observed by Khatavkar and Trivedi (1992), Chandrashekhar
(1994), Kumar (2000), Zafar and Sultana (2008) and
Venkatesharaju et al. (2010).
Dissolved oxygen (DO): The sampling station wise mean
dissolved oxygen data in Table 2 showed that, DO ranged
between 4.2 mg l-1 to 6.7 mg l-1. The highest DO values was
recorded for sampling site R followed by D and B. The mean
monthly DO concentration showed that, it ranged between
4.7 mg l-1 and 7.0 mg l-1 (Table 3). Similarly, the seasonal data
revealed that, the highest concentration of DO in Godavari
River water was observed during winter season followed by
monsoon and summer season. The DO in different seasons
ranged from 4.8-6.8 mg l-1. Dissolved oxygen is one of the
important parameter in water quality assessment as it regulates
and governs metabolic activities and metabolism of the
biological community as a whole, respectively and also acts
as an indicator of trophic status of the water body (Saksena
and Kaushik, 1994). Its presence is essential to maintain variety
of forms of biological life in water. Oxygen is generally reduced
 BHUTEKAR, AHER AND BABARE
in the water due to respiration of biota, decomposition of organic
matter, rise in temperature, oxygen demanding wastes and
inorganic reductant such as hydrogen sulphide, ammonia,
nitrites, ferrous iron, etc. (Sahu et al., 2000).
During study there was marked effect of seasonality on DO,
sites C reflects low DO in monsoon and DO at all the site
were found maximum in winter and minimum in summer, low
DO content during rainy season may be due to high rate of
organic matter decomposition, as more organic matter from
surroundings was discharged into river water through surface
runoff (Hannan, 1979). Rani et al. (2004) also reported lower
values of Dissolved oxygen in summer season due to higher
rate of decomposition of organic matter and limited flow of
water in low holding environment due to high temperature.
Maximum values of DO in winter might be due to the fact that
the solubility of D.O. increases with the decrease in water
temperature (Kumar, 2000). Similar observations were also
recorded by Bansal and Samidha (1989), Mohanta and Patra
(2000), Kamaruzzaman et al. (2008), Zannatul and Muktadir
(2009), Singh and Gupta (2010) and Khinchi et al. (2011).
Biological oxygen demand (BOD):The biological oxygen
demand of Godavari River water was observed between 4.3
mg l-1 and 37.8 mg l-1 among different sampling sites (Table 2).
The highest BOD was observed at site C followed by site A
(20.9 mg l-1). The lowest BOD was observed at site R (4.3 mg
l-1) followed by site D (4.4 mg l-1). The mean seasonal values
of BOD were observed in the range of 13.0-20.1 mg l-1 in different
season (Table 4). The highest BOD was observed in monsoon
season (20.1 mg l-1) followed by winter (14.7 mg l-1) and summer
season (13.0 mg l-1).
Biodegradation of organic materials exerts oxygen tension in
the water and increases the biochemical oxygen demand
(Abida, 2008). BOD remains the most critical parameter and
high BOD content deplete oxygen more rapidly in the aquatic
body resulting into low oxygen availability for aquatic life. Major
sources of BOD in water include leaves and woody debris,
dead plants and animals, faecal waste, effluents from pulp
and paper mills, feedlots and food processing plants. During
study there was marked effect of seasonality on BOD, all sites
reflect high BOD in monsoon which might be attributed to
increased metabolic activities of microbes present in the water
bodies and low decomposition rate of organic matter (Kumar
and Sharma, 2005). BOD increases with organic matter
(20)
addition, wastewater or urban storm water runoff took place at
the river water. Fokmare and Musaddiq (2002) recorded high
value of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in River Purna
during monsoon season due to organic enrichment, decay of
plants and animal matter in the river water. Similar results with
respect to higher BOD in monsoon season compared to winter
and summer season were also reported by Mishra and Tripathi
(2000), Zainudin et al. (2010) and Garg et al. (2006).
Chemical oxygen demand (COD):The COD is a measure
of oxygen equivalent to the organic matter content of the water
susceptible to oxidation and thus is an index of organic pollution
in river (Khaiwal and Anubha, 2003). Chemical oxygen demand
is used as reliable parameter for judging the extent of pollution
in water. High organic inputs trigger depletion of dissolved
oxygen and enhance the COD. In present investigation the
COD was observed 12.2 and 215.0 mg l-1 among different
sampling sites (Table 2). The highest value of COD was
observed at site C followed by site A (136.9 mg l-1) and site B
(108.5 mg l-1). The lowest value of COD was observed for site
R (12.2 mg l-1) followed by site D (20.1 mg l-1). The seasonal
data in Table 4 revealed that, the COD varied between 89.9
and 112.6 mg l-1 during different seasons. Highest value of
COD was observed during summer followed by winter and
monsoon. Highest COD at site C indicated the higher pollution
of water while lower level of COD indicated low level of pollution
of water at the study area (Waziri and Ogugbuaja, 2010). Similar
results were also reported by McCuaig et al. (1974),
Choudhary et al. (2004), Kulshrestha and Sharma (2004); and
Bamniya et al. (2011).
The results of the present investigation revealed that, the water
of Godavari River at Ambad stretch was moderately polluted
at site C and A, whereas the average quality of water was
satisfactory with respect to the day today activities except
direct consumption. The identified sources of water pollution
were discharge of sewage water, religious activity, agriculture
runoff, nitrogenous waste from farms and industrial effluents.
Most of the pollutants are contributed by surface runoff in
monsoon season, hence watershed management would play
crucial role in managing the pollution of Godavari River.
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