UGC sponsored national level conference on Recent trends in Biological Sciences Organized by Dept.

of Zoology Peoples Education Societys Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar College, Mahad Dist. Raigad, Maharashtra 402 301. 20th to 21st Feb 2009.

SEASONAL ASSESSMENT OF SOME PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF ULHAS RIVER ESTUARY, IN THE VICINITY OF THANE CITY, MAHARASHTRA.
S. D. Rathod1 and N. N. Patil2 Department of Zoology, B. N. Bandodkar College of Science Jnanadweepa, Chendani, Thane 400 601(Maharashtra).

Keywords: Ulhas Estuary; Thane; Hydrological; Nutrients; Sediment; Parameters

Abstract: Coastal water quality plays important role in detection and evaluation of pollution status and health of the water. Ulhas river estuary is one of the important water bodies in Thane district. Certain water and sediment parameters were studied in the Ulhas river estuary near Thane city in Maharashtra State during monsoon (M: July to September), early post monsoon (EPM: October to December) and late post monsoon seasons (LPM: January to March). For the study the Ulhas river estuary from Vasai (mouth of the estuary) to Dombivli (riverwards of the estuary), the limit of high tide water inundation, was considered. Entire stretch of estuary was arbitrarily divided into three zones such as zone-I, zone-II and zone-III. In present study, physical and chemical variables of water, such as water temperature, light penetration, suspended solids, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), silicates (SiO3-Si), nitrates (NO3-N), phosphates (PO4-P) and sediment, such as soil texture and organic carbon were monitored during the foresaid seasons in 2004-2005. Zone I was found to be highly deviating with light penetration, suspended solids, BOD, nitrates, soil texture and organic carbon. During the field study it was observed that zone I was highly influenced due to the anthropogenic activities like sewage water and solid waste disposal, reclamation, human habitation, slum and eradication of mangrove flora in the vicinity. An attempt has revealed the poor health of the ambient water which incurs the pressure on the inhabitant fauna and flora of the estuary. This might affect the endemic fishery species and ultimately the fisheries in the locality. Therefore the data presented in this paper, can be taken as a base line in knowing the impact of human activity on the estuarine ecosystem in near future.