Impact of Anthropogenic Activities on Water Sediment Characteristics Algal Biodiversity and Nutrient Enrichment in Some Ponds at Varanasi

Abstract

The present study was undertaken on the water characteristics of ponds at Varanasi newlinewhich are affected by various religious activities. Varanasi is the most ancient and holy newlinecity of the world. Lot of ritual activities take place all round the year in this heritage city newlineof Uttar Pradesh. The important ponds are very often used for religious activities and idol newlineimmersion. The physico-chemical characteristics viz., pH, electrical conductivity, total newlinesolids, hardness, total alkalinity, free CO2, DO, BOD, COD, chloride, inorganic newlinephosphorus, nitrate, calcium and magnesium of pond water were analysed. newlineThe findings indicated that, there was much deterioration in water quality of these newlineponds. Except DO, almost all the parameters showed increase in their values in newlinecomparison to normal pond water. Out of heavy metals are Zinc, Manganese, Cadmium newlineand Chromium were analyzed and the result showed that, these heavy metals were found newlinein the pond water and pond sediments in good quantity. The study Chlorophycae and newlineCynophyacae of algal diversity is very good results in this work and study play important newlineroles of ponds study. The basic reasons for addition of primary productivity of ponds newlinestudy were anthropogenic activities and idol immersion. newlineKeywords: Anthropogenic activity, Biodiversity, Ponds, Varanasi. newline