Review of Hussain Sagar Lake Pollution, Hyderabad, India
Review of Hussain Sagar Lake Pollution, Hyderabad, India
Review of Hussain Sagar Lake Pollution, Hyderabad, India
Abstract— Hussain sagar lake, a historical lake which was bodies like streams and rivers, mostly the natural lakes are
built in 1562 by Hussain Shaw Wali is situated in the heart formed at mountain areas, where as the artificial lakes are
of Hyderabad city, India. Earlier up to 1930’s, it was the also constructed in and around the cities to meet the water
major water source to meet drinking and irrigation demand of that particular area, and also to serve wastewater
requirements for both twin cities of Hyderabad and basins for the catchment area they existed. Lakes can retain
Secunderabad. Now this lake turned to virtual garbage bin the waste materials without disturbing ecosystem up to
with no adequate treatment for wastewater loads originated certain extent, but when the discharging wastewater loads
from point and non point sources. Therefore the lake loses increasing, they will lose the ability of self purification
the capability of self purification system which was an process. Due to rapid industrialization and population
important factor that depends on the maximum uptake of growth, the requirement of water being increased at
oxygen from the atmosphere. Multiple projects were alarming rate in order to meet the water requirements of
undertaken by the concerned authorities for the future generation, there is great need of protecting water
improvement of Hussain sagar lake and its catchment area. bodies to promote sustainable development [1].
Recently With referring to the Lake health status, In 2006, Many Rivers and natural water bodies across the world are
HMDA, a governing body set up by Andhra Pradesh being polluted by domestic and industrial sewage due to a
Government, initiated “Hussainsagar Lake and Catchment wide range of pollutants. Some of the pollutants are
Area Improvement project” and set up STPs and persistent and stable environmental contaminants [2].
wastewater interception and diversion structures. It also Domestic sewage poses health related issues while
installed fountains to aerate the lake to improve its water industrial effluents carry a wide variety of toxic elements
quality as well as to add beauty. But these measures are like Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg and Zn which can cause significant
lying ineffective to manage wastewater loads. toxicity even in trace amounts. The pollutants enter various
This paper discusses that the Hussain Sagar lake water parts of environment by anthropogenic activities as well as
body over decades, has been polluted adversely from natural processes and degrade the surface and ground water
discharging of organic and inorganic pollutants through quality and make them unsuitable for drinking, industrial,
open drains as well as point and non point sources and also irrigation, recreation or other purposes [3,4].
presents various measures had taken to rejuvenate Hussain Water bodies in flowing state normally have the capacities
Sagar Lake to its past glory. to purify itself from the contamination of external sources
Keywords— Hussain sagar lake, Oxygen uptake, Self discharge into the river [5,6]. Self-purification of water is a
purification capacity, organic pollutants. tedious process involving physical, chemical and biological
processes that occur simultaneously, allows lakes to restore
I. INTRODUCTION its natural state over a certain period [7.8].
Lakes are one of the surface water sources for the human The process of purification is mainly depends on absorption
needs, and they are most useful for developmental activities and dissolution of atmospheric oxygen from the water body
in and around the areas where they existed, they serve surface. This absorbed and dissolved oxygen (DO) is
infiltration source for ground water, for recharge of water to necessary for the growth of bacteria to break down the
the water table, in addition to these, lakes can receive organic and inorganic pollutants thereby reducing its
domestic sewage and industrial effluents from the strength for a period of time [9]. Self-purification capacity of
catchment area they existed and turn into disposal sites for water bodies is mainly depends on natural factors. These
waste water. In contrast to the perennial flowing water include the water velocity, depth, discharge and temperature
II. LITERATURE REVIEW being heavily polluted by potentially toxic elements (PETs)
[16]
The immersion of Ganesh idols in the lake every year has . Besides adding silt, studies indicate that these
made it worse. It was reported that the water quality of immersions have increased the pollution levels in the lake.
Hussainsagar Lake is deteriorated with many heavy metals The sediment and pore water analysis has shown elevated
concentration in elevated levels than the ICMR standards concentration of Cr & Pb indicating settlement of various
[15]
. It has also been reported that the kukatpally nallah pollutants at bottom of lake [17]. All lakes serve to recharge
carries the major quantity of pollutants which was the water table. But because of heavy pollution of Hussain
determined by the sediment analysis at kukatpally nalla sagar Lake, many of pollutants get carried into underground
It was noted from the Table 4 that the values of BOD were there is no big evidence of eutrophication. Total suspended
observed at high concentration which indicates the presence solids was existed in the range of 146 – 278 mg/l at the
of considerable pollution in the lake waters, Chlorides of outset even though the lake was fully contaminated the
water samples were observed ranging from 108-126 mg/l, consistency in the pollutant concentration remains same as
Dissolved oxygen was observed in the range of 1.7-21.8 there is no big differentiation of physico chemical analysis
mg/l, Ammonical nitrogen was existed in the range of 4 – of lake water during the three months period of analysis due
29 mg/l, Nitrates were in the range of 10 -24 mg/l and total to the less inflow of water as the rain fall intensity during
phosphates were in the range of 2.8- 9.2 mg/l, due to this study period is minimum [23].
It was observed from Table 5 that different studies over desirable, while Total nitrogen value of 28.6 mg/l was
years carried out by many researchers that the value of representing eutrophication conditions in the lake. The
Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) holds high concentration deterioration of lake water quality could be linked to
levels, which indicates the presence of considerable nutrient loading from domestic sewage. The raw sewage is
pollution in the lake, while Total suspended solids the source of nitrates and phosphates in the water [26].
concentration levels varies from 36.9 -58 mg/l were
considered within the desirable limits. V. CONCLUSIONS
The DO was observed very low value varies from 0 to 3.4 Hussain sagar is a 450-year-old water body. Every day, 78
mg/L indicating fragile water quality, and the BOD was million litres of sewage and 15 million litres of industrial
moderately high concentrations varies from 20 – 48 mg/l effluents flow into the lake through four drains. Of these, a
indicating organic pollution, the COD values are medium major quanity of sewage has been treating through two
varies from 76 to 289 mg/L and are considered within the STP’s, while less quanity was being untreated. However the
desirable limit. The data clearly indicates the occurrence of two sewage treatment plants (STPs) near the lake are
sewage pollution due to the convergence of untreated insufficient to handle the wastewater load. It has reportedly
domestic sewage and solid waste containing oxidizable found that the lake has lost its natural ability to 'self-purify'
organic matter into the lake water [25]. The data indicates itself due to heavy load of contaminants as dissolved
that the lake water was moderately alkaline and the pH oxygen levels reaching the lowest and the worst pollution in
values of 6.5 -9.2 were within the permissible limits. lake is due to organic and inorganic substances that have
Phosphates representing eutrophication were within in the seeped into the lake bed, and turned it to virtual garbage