Water Quality Assessment Using Water Quality Index and Land Use/Land Cover of Saryu River, Kumaon Himalaya, India

The Saryu River, a branch of the Sharda River (downstream of the Mahakali River), flows in the Kumaon Himalaya. This study utilized the physico-chemical parameters to assess water quality status and calculate the Water Quality Index (WQI), as well as Sentinel-2 satellite images of 10-meter resolution for 2022 and 2023 to analyse land use and land cover (LULC). The secondary water quality data was obtained from the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board. The results revealed that the total hardness, calcium, magnesium, faecal coliform, and total coliform were beyond the acceptable limits set by Bureau of Indian Standards/World Health Organization. Ions are primarily released in water via the process of carbonate weathering. In both the seasons of 2022 and 2023, the concentration of the analysed cation and anion followed the sequence of calcium > magnesium > sodium > potassium, and sulphate > chloride > fluoride > nitrate-nitrogen, respectively. In both years, the WQI showed good water quality. The LULC shows the negative change detection of water (-0.31%), built area (-0.84%) and rangeland (-0.98%), whereas trees (+ 1.05%), crops (+ 0.39%) and bare ground (+ 0.69%) show positive change detection from 2022 to 2023. According to the study's findings, the Saryu River water is safe for drinking. However, the presence of faecal coliform and total coliform highlighted the need for enhanced sanitary infrastructure and protocols to mitigate bacterial contamination from river water.