IMPACT OF SOME NATURAL HAZARDS ON THE QUALITY OF WATER: RIVER DIANA, DISTRICT JALPAIGURI, WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Abstract

A detailed study of Physico-chemical parameters of River Diana is unavailable though it is an important stream among the left bank tributaries of River Jaldhaka of district Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, India. It is a flood-prone River and channel shifting, sedimentation, erosion are the main features of the River. These natural hazards affect the quality of River water. It also becomes polluted by the Cutting of trees and unscientific dolomite mining in Bhutan hills. Diana basin is mainly a tea garden belt and the existing records showed that the people of tea garden areas in Jalpaiguri are mostly suffered from water-borne diseases. So the primary objective of this work is to make a report on the quality of water of River Diana and to verify the quality, especially to ensure the safety of local people because they use River water for daily purposes. Some preliminary parameters like pH, Temperature, Conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids, Alkalinity, Dissolved Oxygen, Chloride, Total Hardness, Magnesium-Hardness, CalciumHardness, Turbidity etc. which are the reflection of pollution of surface water, were measured and the values proved that River Diana is polluted but not over-polluted. Though the observed values of the parameters are within the limit the River water is not safe for everyday use.