Effects of industrial waste disposal on the water quality of the river Kolak

Abstract

About 6 mld of industrial waste water is discharged without proper treatment in the fresh water zone of the river Kolak. Parameters like suspended solids, pH, chloride, DO, BOD, phosphate, nitrate, boron, sulphate and trace metals were periodically determined at 8 stations spread over a distance of 35 km from the mouth. The river flow decreases considerably during the dry season and is negligible after February. Severe pollution conditions, therefore, prevail during the dry season. Appreciable tidal influence with strong flood and ebb currents is observed upto about 3.5 km only, from the mouth. The effluent if discharged in this region would be effectively washed to the sea during the ebb tide