Ecological health and water quality of village ponds in the subtropics limiting their use for water supply and groundwater recharge

Goyal, V.C.; Singh, Omkar; Singh, Rajesh; Chhoden, Kalzang; Kumar, Jhalesh; Yadav, Sandeep; Singh, Nihal; Shrivastava, N.G.; Carvalho, Laurence. 2021 Ecological health and water quality of village ponds in the subtropics limiting their use for water supply and groundwater recharge. Journal of Environmental Management, 277, 111450. 9, pp. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111450

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111450

Abstract/Summary

Ponds are a typical feature of many villages in the subtropics, and have been widely used as important sources of water for agriculture, aquaculture and groundwater recharge, as well as enhancing village resilience to floods and drought. Currently many village ponds are in a very poor state and in dire need of rejuvenation. This paper assesses the current water quality status and ecological health of twelve sub-tropical village ponds, situated in western Uttar Pradesh, India. This assessment is used to evaluate their wastewater treatment needs in relation to potential village uses of the water. Physico-chemical (Secchi depth, Total phosphorus and Total nitrogen) and biological (Phytoplankton chlorophyll-a) indicators highlight hypertrophic conditions in all the ponds. The study indicates that the status of village ponds requires significant investments in wastewater treatment to restore their use for many purposes, including aquaculture, although some may still be acceptable for irrigation purposes, as long as pathogenic bacteria are not abundant. We propose increased implementation of decentralised systems for wastewater treatment, such as septic tanks and constructed wetlands, to reduce the organic and nutrient loads entering village ponds and allow their use for a wider range of purposes.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111450
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Water Resources (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	0301-4797
Additional Keywords:	phytoplankton, trophic status, wastewater treatment, water resources, aquaculture
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	27 Jan 2021 12:58 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/529512

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111450

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Water Resources (Science Area 2017-)

ISSN:

0301-4797

Additional Keywords:

phytoplankton, trophic status, wastewater treatment, water resources, aquaculture

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment