CHAPTER-III

CHAPTER-III

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A) GENERAL GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATOLOGY:

The Maharashtra state forms a major part of peninsular India with the

Arabian Sea coast of its western side. It lies 1604’ to 22

01’ north and 72

06’ to

8009’ east are North West Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh in North Andhra

Pradesh in the south east and Karnataka and Goa in the South. It has total

area of 3, 07, 762 sq.km (Plate-1).

THE DISTRICT DHULE OF MAHARASHTRA STATE FORMALLY

KNOWN AS WEST KHANDESH:

The climate of the district is generally dry and hot except monsoon

season. The year is broadly divisible into 3 seasons in present investigation.

The characteristics of these weather period during January, 2009 to

December, 2010 were considered in present study. Diurnal changes occurred

frequently in the air temperature during the summer. In monsoon season the

rain was not continuous. The average annual rain fall in the district was 628

mm.

B) STUDY AREAS:

From Dhule district of North Maharashtra SULWADE BARRAGE

was selected for the present investigation (Plate-2).

I) SALIENT FEATURES AND DESCRIPTION OF SULWADE

BARRAGE SALIENT FEATURES:

1) LOCATION:

i) Nala / River : Tapi River

ii) Village & Taluka : Village, Near Sulwade

Taluka, Shinkdkheda.

iii) District : Dhule (Maharashtra)

iv) Co-ordinates

a) Latitude : 210-18’-12”N

b) Longitude : 740-48;-12”E

2) HYDROLOGY:

i) Total catchment area upto dam site. : 52149 sq.Km.

ii) Free catchment area (Below Lower Tapi : 3649.65 sq.Km

Project)

iii) Maximum annual rainfall : 994 mm.

iv) Minimum annual rainfall : 332 mm.

v) Average annual rainfall : 628 mm.

vi) 75% dependable annual rainfall : 507 mm.

vii) Run-off-factor : 0.21

viii) 75% dependable annual yield : 389.85 hm3

xi) Reservation for upstream utilization buy : 276.45 hm3

medium and MI Tanks in the free catchment

x) Net yield available for planning : 113.40 hm3

3) RESERVOIR:

i) Top of bund level : 147.50 m.

ii) H.F.L. (with Afflux) : 145.40 m.

iii) H.F.L. (Normal) : 143.60 m.

iv) F.R.L. : 133.00 m.

v) Crest level : 122.00 m.

vi) Lowest bed level : 121.30 hm3

vii) Gross storage : 65.060 hm3

viii) Live storage : 64.942 hm3

ix) Dead storage : 0.0118 hm3

x) Annual utilization : 84.54 hm3

4) BARRAGE:

i) Type : Barrage with vertical lift gates.

ii) Length : 503 m.

iii) Top width : 13.4 m.

iv) Crest level : 122 m.

v) Type of gates : Vertical lift

vi) No. of gates and size : 27 nos., 1.5 m.x11 m. size

vii) Normal flood lift over FRL : 10.5 m.

viii) Free board : 2.10 (above HFL with afflux)

ix) Design flood (PMF) : 49224 Cumec.

5) SUBMERGENCE:

i) Area under submergence : 1272 ha.

ii) Forest land : NIL.

iii) Private land : 82 ha.

iv) Govt. land (River bed) : 1190 ha.

b) Total population Affected : NIL

c) No. of villages affected : NIL

6) IRRIGATION:

i) Gross command area : 9333 ha.

ii) Culturable Command area : 8400 ha.

iii) Annual Irrigation : 8533 ha.

iv) Cropped area : 8582 ha.

Sulwade Barrage has two main sources for water collection of water

i.e. Nala and river Tapi. During the two year study period, annual total

rainfall in the catchment and submargence area of Sulwade Barrage was

52149 sq.km (Plate-3, 4). The following six stations were selected for the

collection of water and algal samples. These stations are S-I, S-II, S-III, S-

IV, S-V and S-VI (Plates 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) respectively. The water samples

were collected from water surface layer about one feet depth of each side.

C) FILED WORK:

a) Collection of water Samples:

Water samples for analysis of physico-chemical parameters, were

taken from all six stations of Sulwade Barrage from January, 2009 to

December, 2010 (Plate-11). The collection of water sample were collected in

acid wasted plastic cans with liters capacity from all stations of study areas.

For estimation of dissolved oxygen, separate samples were collected

in 250 ml BOD glass bottles and fixed in the field where water temperature

of each site was recorded periodically by using mercury centigrade

thermometer at depth of 4 to 6 cm from the surface layer of water. pH of

water was examined in the filed at the time of collection by using universal

pH paper and also checked by using digital pH meter in laboratory.

b) Collection of algal samples:

Algal samples were collected at monthly intervals during January,

2009 to December, 2010. Algal samples are collected in sunpet Jar about

150 ml capacity, the Jars are leak proof, unbreakable and preserved in 4%

formalin for further taxonomic investigations. The attached epiphytic and

floating forms of algae were collected separately in acid washed collection

bottles.

D) LABORATORY WORK:

I) BIOTOPE:

Physico-chemical analysis of water:

The physico-chemical analysis of water samples from Sulwade

Barrage was carried out by standard methods of APHA (1975) and Trivedy

and Goel (1984). The physico-chemical parameters were studied for water

analysis Viz. pH, Water Temperature, Dissoved Oxygen, Free CO2, Total

alkalinity, Carbonate, Bicarbonate, Sulphate, Phosphate, Nitrate, Hardness,

Chloride, Magnesium, Magnesium Hardness, Calcium, Calcium Hardness,

Total Solids, Total Dissolved Solids and Total Suspended Solids were

recorded from both sites during January, 2009 to December, 2010. The

methods for analysis of physico-chemical parameters are shown in Table-1.

II) BIOCENOSE:

Algal Analysis:

The algal samples of Sulwade Barrage was collected at monthly

intervals. The population of 4 groups of algae was estimated by

Haemocytometer method (Whitton, 1969). For quantitative study of algae.

The density of population of 4 groups of algae viz. Cyanophyceae (Blue-

green algae), Chlorophyceae (Green algae), Bascillariphyceae (Diatoms),

and Euglenineae (Euglenoids) was estimated at every month from January,

2009 to December, 2010. Similarly the percentage of different algal taxa of

Sulwade Barrage was calculated every month during the two years of the

study and it was compared for six stations by choosing monthly means of

cells/ml of both years. The comparison of seasonal percentage of four

groups of algae was made for 2 years.

For qualitative study of algae, algal samples were preserved in 4%

formalin for further study and identification of algae. Line drawings of

different forms of algae were made by camera lucida. The algae were

identified by relevant monographs and recent available literature. (Hustedt,

1930; Pochmann, 1942; Hunber-Pestalozzi, 1955; Pringsheim, 1956,

Desikachary, 1959; Randhwa, 1959; Ramanathan, 1964; Philipose, 1967;

Iyengar and Desikachary, 1981; Gonzalves, 1981; Sarode and Kamat. 1984).

III) POLLUTION INDEX:

The pollution tolerant genera and most pollution tolerant species of

algae were recorded for each station of Sulwade Barrage.

Algal pollution indices of Palmer (1969) based on genus and

species were used in rating samples for high organic pollution.

A list of all significantly occurring algae in the samples was made

for all stations of Barrage.

Twenty most frequent genera were taken into account. A pollution

index factor was assigned to each genus by determining the relative

number of total points scored by each alga. For rating of water samples as

high or low organically polluted, observations were made according to

palmer (1969).

The following numerical values for the individual zones have been

followed:

(i) 0 - 10 - Suggests lack of organic pollution.

(ii) 10 - 15 - indicate moderate pollution.

(iii) 15 - 20 - indicate probable high –organic pollution.

(iv) 20 or more - confirmed high organic pollution.

(v) 44 - Theoretical maximum (probably not

Attainable except under the most

stringent artificial conditions)

The lower figures below 15 indicate that –

(i) Organic pollution in not high.

(ii) Sample is not representative or

(iii) Some substance of factor interfering with algal persistence is

present and active.

The pollution index was calculated for all station of the barrage.

IV) TROPHIC STATE INDICES:

Nygaard’s (1949) tropic indices are used to determine trophic state

of 5 stations of Barrage and one station of river. These indices are helpful

for determining the nature of water. The values of index for different

categories of algae for oligotrophic and eutrophic conditions were

followed according to Nygaard’s (1949).

Nygaard’s trophic state indices are as follows:

________________________________________________________

Sr.No. Index Calculation Oligotrophic

Eutrophic

___________________________________________________________

1 Myxophycean Myxophycean 0.0 – 0.4 0.1 – 3.0

_________________

(BGA) Desmideae

2 Chlorophycean Chlorophycean 0.0 – 0.7 0.2 – 9.0

_________________

(Green algae) Desmideae

3 Diatom Centric Diatoms 0.0 – 0.3 0.0– 1.75

_________________

(Green algae) Pinnate diatoms

4 Euglenophyte Euglenophyta 0.0 – 0.2 0.0 – 1.0

_________________

Myxophyceae

5 Compound Myxophyceae 0.0-1.0 1.2 – 2.5

+ Chlorococcales

+ Centric diatoms

+ Euglenophyta

_________________

Desmideae

___________________________________________________________

For determining the indices, the number of genera in each group of

algae was determined up to species level for each sampling station of

barrage. The ratios of these groups were calculated and are used as

biological index of water quality. From these values the degree of

eutrophication is determined for each station of barrage and one stations

of river.

V) SAPROBITY INDEX:

The saprobity indices for 6 stations of Sulwade Barrage were

calculated according to Pantle and Buck (1955).

s.h

M = { S } = --------------------

h

Where, S – is the mean saprobity index.

s - is the degree of saprobity.

h – is the frequency with which single species occurs.

For the calculation, the following numerical degree are used.

(i) Oligo – saprobic indicator organism ………………. S =1.

(ii) β – Mesosaprobic indicator organism ………………. S =2.

(iii) α – Mesosaprobic indicator organism ………………. S =3.

(iv) Poly – Mesosaprobic indicator organism ………………. S =4.

(1) Species found by chance ………………. h =1.

(2) Species found frequently ………………. h =3.

(3) Species occurring in abundance ………………. h =5.

The following numerical values for the individual zones have been

followed:

(i) 1.0 – 1.5 denotes oligo (0) saprobic zone.

(ii) 1.5 – 2.5 denotes β – Mesosaprobic zone.

(iii) 2.5 – 3.5 denotes α – Mesosaprobic zone.

(iv) 3.5 – 4.0 denotes poly saprobic zone.

The various saprobitic organisms included in saprobitic levels of

Kolkwitz and Marsson (1908) are listed from 6 stations of Sulwade

Barrage of present investigation.

VI) GENERAL STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:

A multi-factoral correlation analysis of the data was made to study

the interrelationships of various parameters of 6 station of Sulwade

Barrage.

The coefficients of correlation of general statistics calculatd and

the significance of the difference between the mean was tested by‘t’ test

of 50% level of significance with 48 degree of freedom for 19 parameters

during January, 2009 to December, 2010 following Rao et.al. (1975).

To show the interrelationship among the parameters, correlation

matrix of each parameter was compared to every parameter at each

station of Sulwade Barrage of present investigation.

∑ (X- X) (Y – Y)

r =

∑ [ X - X2) ∑ (Y- Y)

2 ]

r = Correlation coefficient.

x = Deviations of x Variable.

y = Deviations of y variable.

VII) TAXONOMICAL STUDY:

For taxonomical study of algae, identification of various algal

forms of 6 station of Sulwade Barrage was made with the help of

standard monograph and literature.

(Hustedt, 1930; Pochmann, 1942; Hubner- Pestalozzi, 1955; Pringsheim,

1956; Desikachary, 1959; Randhawa, 1959; Ramanathan, 1964;

Philipose, 1967; Iyenger and Desikachary, 1981; Gonzalves, 1981;

Sarode and Kamat, 1984).

Certain forms were identified with the help of experts. Systematic

accounts of all algal taxa were made for 4 groups of algae.

Viz. (i) Cyanophyceae.

(ii) Chlorophyceae.

(iii) Bascillariophyceae.

(iv) Euglenineae.

Line drawings were made with the help of Camera Lucida.

Microphotography of algal taxa are also taken simultaneously while

standing Camera Lucida.