A Study on the Meghadri Gedda Surplus Channel Characteristics

The Meghadri Gedda Surplus channel, Visakhapatnam, India, is an important waterway originating from Meghadri Gedda reservoir and flowing into the Bay of Bengal, which is heavily impacted by the surrounding industries. The study used the SWAT model to analyze the spatial distribution and hydrological process around the MG catchment area. Industrial effluents and the channel’s water quality parameters were analyzed to provide insights into the extent of industrial pollution and its impact on the MG surplus channel. Industrial effluents from Coromandel Fertilizers Limited and rain C-II carbon showed remarkable physicochemical characteristics such as low pH of 1.02 at ETP inlets, high TDS value up to 5020mg/l, and elevated Chloride concentrations up to 148,890 mg/l. The values of BOD and COD also crossed the CPCB limits with 4875 mg/l BOD and 1232 mg/l COD, indicating a notable organic load. Alkalinity concentrations in both batches varies from 80 to 720 mg/l and Desalination rejects Magnesium concentrations exceeds the standard limits of CPCB. The catchment area received annual precipitation of 1363.6 mm with a runoff of 966.49 mm, which indicates a remarkable portion of rainfall contributing to channel water flow. Only 21.32 mm of groundwater recharge was calculated, while evapotranspiration was high at 229.8 mm. Annually, 16.84 mg/ha. Nutrient losses by crop were substantially high due to nitrate leaching and phosphorus runoff. Key Words: Meghadri Gedda Surplus Channel, Industrial Effluent, Water Quality, Hydrological Model, Arc SWAT.