Assessment of spatial variations in water quality of Garra River at Shahjahanpur, Ganga Basin, India

Water pollution is one of the most significant problems in India. This problem of poor water quality is also faced by many Himalayan Rivers which flows through the Ganga Plains of India. Garra River, a tributary of the River Ganga, flows through major industrial areas of Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh and is one of the sources for supplying water for life, production, and irrigation especially in the dry season. It has faced water quality problems with industrial development and urban growth along the river. In this study, water quality along the total stretch of the river Garra in Shahjahanpur was analyzed on the basis of spatial variation, including various physicochemical characteristics. This takes into consideration the chemical and physical characteristics, as well as heavy metals. A correlation matrix was created, followed by PCA analysis to assess the data accuracy. The data was accurate and reliable, and the finding was then compared to existing WHO guidelines. The results established the existence of marked pollution along the Garra section in Shahjahanpur district, which can be accredited to wastewater discharges of urban and animal husbandry origin in particular.