Deciphering pollution vulnerability zones of River Yamuna in relation to existing land use land cover in Panipat, Haryana, India

Rivers are one of the major freshwater resources, which provide water for irrigation, domestic, recreational, environmental, and industrial purposes, but they are extremely vulnerable to pollution due to discharge of untreated waste. Establishing the baseline river water quality data is important, so that monitoring changes over time, assessing impacts of particular developmental projects and setting water quality standards for the protection of the river, can be undertaken. In the present study, water quality assessment was done for a segment of Yamuna River passing through Panipat district, Haryana, India. This study is an attempt to know the impact of wastewater generated due to urban and industrial activities taking place in Panipat city and nearby areas, on River Yamuna. Furthermore, vulnerability zone of River Yamuna was delineated using CCME-WQI, NSF-WQI, and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). The water quality samples were further evaluated for the agricultural and industrial purposes to determine whether the water can be used for irrigation and industrial requirements. The study also considered the existing land use land cover (LULC) on left and right banks of the River Yamuna and the wastewater carrying drain. River Yamuna travels nearly a distance of ≈ 44 Kms in and around Panipat district and the results of the study indicated that nearly 13 Km stretch of River is more vulnerable to pollution. Thus, it is suggested that wastewater discharge regulation, installation of effluent treatments plants, and maintenance of environmental flow are prerequisite to protect and restore the River Yamuna.