Water Quality Assessment of Katraj Lake, Pune (Maharashtra, India): A Case Study

Katraj lake is one of the prime lake of Pune (Maharashtra) which has; a historical significance, is situated in south Pune covering about 82 hectares .In 1749 the water supply system which was commissioned from “Ambil Odha” that flows down to Katraj -Dive ghat. The system consists of an intricate system of two lakes, dams and canals. The first lake acts as a sedimentation tank and the water from the first lake then seeps into the Katraj Lake. It is checked by a 1000 feet long stone dam. Katraj is also serviced by many natural springs. Both dams have small gates at the base that were used as sluice gates to release excess waters back into the Ambil Odha canal. In 19 th century the Katraj Lake water used to supply water through a underground canal to the heart of the city. Several fountains, tanks, baths and wells were constructed to supply water from the Katraj Lake to the local residents. In 1879, the Pune municipality took over the city’s water supply system and from then began a gradual decline in the use of the Katraj system. As recently as 1970, the Katraj lake waters were being supplied to residents living in near by vicinity of the lake. Presently the surface water quality of the Katraj Lake is severely degraded due to the pollution from surrounding areas directly entering the waters. Water analysis was done for the parameters like pH, Dissolved oxygen (DO), Biochemical oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total dissolved solids(TDS),Chloride, SulpHate, Nitrate, Calcium and Magnesium and Hardness for testing the suitability for drinking, agricultural purposes. The study report discusses about the analysis of the water quality and suggests the means to improve through eco remediation measures.