Seasonal Variation in the Physico-Chemical Parameters and Bacterial Load in the Dal Lake

Water samples were collected during different seasons from three sampling stations in Dal lake, Srinagar, J&K, India for assessing its physicochemical quality and viable bacterial counts. The mean temperatures seasonally varied significantly with values of 20.56±0.57, 7.78±0.39 and 11.50±0.73°C, respectively, during autumn, winter and spring seasons. The pH of sampled Dal water was slightly alkaline (7.28–7.90). Dissolved oxygen and chloride content in water in different seasons showed slight variation. The chloride content was high in the areas with high population density and more human activities. The bacterial counts showed increase with human activities during warmer months. The total viable bacterial counts of Dal water in all the seasons varied from 4.53±0.23 cfu/mL to 6.40±0.14 cfu/mL. The highest counts were observed in spring followed by autumn and winter.