Dr. B.B. Singh, Environmental Research Laboratory, Chemistry Department, D.D.U. Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur-273 009 (India) studies on the following topics:

Abstract: The physico-chemical characteristics of Saraya Sugar Mill and Saraya Distillery effluents have been carried out with a view to assess likely impact of these effluents on the quality of water of river Rapti.

High values of BOD, COD, Chloride, Sulphate and Hardness in the effluents are the indicators of high degree of organic contamination in these wastes. The important characteristics associated with pollution of the river due to discharge of these effluents in the heavy depletion of oxygen in the river water making it unfit for human consumption and need to be controlled.

Key words: Rapti River, Industrial effluents, Water pollution.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Problem of pollution as a consequence of increased industrialization is now a well known phenomenon. Contamination of water bodies take place due to the discharge of effluents from industries, domestic sewage, agricultural run-off and dead bodies thrown into it. The major source of river water pollution has been linked to both industrial as well as domestic wastes. The industrial effluents contain pollutants that cause harmful effect on receiving waters and adverse impact on human health as well as aquatic biota.

River Rapti is an important river of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Increase of industrial development on the bank of river water quality has greatly deteriorated. Saraya sugar factory and Saraya distillery both are situated on the bank of Faren Nallah at Sardar Nagar of Gorakhpur district. These industries discharge their effluent into Faren Nallah which ultimately merged into river Rapti. These in turn alter the physico-chemical properties of Rapti river water.

Many studies have been made on different aspects of pollution of rivers but very little work has been done in this direction. However, the assessment of impact of industrial wastes on river water is still in an early stage with this ink mind, the present study has been made to explore, the deleterious effect on pollution status of Rapti River.

The study was carried out for one year from Dec. 1999 to Nov. 2000, in order to assess pollution effect of sugar factory and distillery effluents on Rapti river, viz. site-I (upstream), site-II (Confluence point, where effluents of sugar factory and distillery effluents merges) and site- III (down stream) were selected.