Ecological health and water quality of village ponds in the subtropics limiting their use for water supply and groundwater recharge

JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

卷:277

Article

Goyal, V. C.¹  Singh, Omkar¹  Singh, Rajesh¹  Chhoden, Kalzang¹  Kumar, Jhalesh²  Yadav, Sandeep¹  Singh, Nihal¹  Shrivastava, N. G.¹  Carvalho, Laurence³ 

[1] Natl Inst Hydrol, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India

[2] IGKV, NSV Coll Agr Engn & Technol & Res Studies, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India

[3] UK Ctr Ecol & Hydrol, Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland

关键词: Phytoplankton;    Trophic status;    Wastewater treatment;    Water resources;    Aquaculture;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111450

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Ponds are a typical feature of many villages in the subtropics, and have been widely used as important sources of water for agriculture, aquaculture and groundwater recharge, as well as enhancing village resilience to floods and drought. Currently many village ponds are in a very poor state and in dire need of rejuvenation. This paper assesses the current water quality status and ecological health of twelve sub-tropical village ponds, situated in western Uttar Pradesh, India. This assessment is used to evaluate their wastewater treatment needs in relation to potential village uses of the water. Physico-chemical (Secchi depth, Total phosphorus and Total nitrogen) and biological (Phytoplankton chlorophyll-a) indicators highlight hypertrophic conditions in all the ponds. The study indicates that the status of village ponds requires significant investments in wastewater treatment to restore their use for many purposes, including aquaculture, although some may still be acceptable for irrigation purposes, as long as pathogenic bacteria are not abundant. We propose increased implementation of decentralised systems for wastewater treatment, such as septic tanks and constructed wetlands, to reduce the organic and nutrient loads entering village ponds and allow their use for a wider range of purposes.

【 授权许可】

Free