Studies on physico-chemical properties of water in some selected sites of Deepor Beel (Ramsar site), Assam, India.

Deepor beel (Ramsar Site) is a natural, permanent wetland, in a former channel of Brahmaputra river having both biological and environmental importance and richer in floral and faunal diversity. The Deepor beel ecosystem harbours large number of migratory waterfowl each year. But in recent decades several threats introduced in the area like construction, industrial development, large scale encroachment, etc. within the peiphery of the beel. Hence by studying the water quality of the beel the health of the beel could be understood and corresponding measurements could be taken. In the present study physico-chemical variables of the water like, Water temperature (WT), Colour, Odour, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD0, Total Alkalinity (TA), pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Solids (TS), turbidity (T), Total Hardness (TH0, Chloride, Calcium and Magnesium had been studied. The result of water variables varies with location, Turbidity found high, i.e., 12.6 TNU at site 7, where DO was very low at site 6 (1.4 mg/l). The BOD ranges (>2 mg/l) of water indicated that the water was moderately polluted at all the sites except site 6 and site 10. TDS shown the upper range of values (150 mg/l - 725 mg/l), which was unsuitable for drink. The outcome of ANOVA shown that water variables differ with location (F ration=1.83, p-value<< 0.06). Bray-Curtis Cluster analysis had been performed to find out the similarity among the sites. Where site 1 and site 4 shown highest similarity percentage (96.45%) than other sites. Hence the present study showed that more or less all the sites of the beel were contaminated and a quick action is required to sustain the health of the wetland.