Abstract

ASSESSMENT OF BACTERIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF MULLAI PERIYAR RIVER WATER IN THENI DISTRICT, TAMILNADU, INDIA

Sivamanikandan P.* and Ahmed John S.

Abstract

Background: River water quality is a critical alarm for mankind as it is directly related to human safety. Mullaiperiyar River is one of the most important rivers in South India. The present study was performed to assess the bacterial quality of Mullaiperiyar river water in Theni district, Tamilnadu, India. River water samples were collected from three different areas including nine stations like upstream area (Lower camp, Kullapa Goundanpatty, Karunakka Muthanpatti), urban stretch area (Surlipatti, Uthamapalayam, Chinnamanur and Veerapandi) and downstream area (Theni-Aranmanaipudur, Vaigai Dam) during the period of 2016 in the month of January to December using standard procedure. The bacteriological analysis of river water samples includes the method such as in the Total Heterotrophic Bacteria (THB), Total Coliform Bacteria (TCB) and Fecal Coliform Bacteria (FCB). It also revealed the presence of the bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Shigella dysentery, Vibrio cholerae, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis. The river was mostly polluted due to the accumulation of xenobiotics compound by anthropogenic manners. The present study revealed that the bacterial quality of the Mullaiperiyar River water was found to be poor and unfit for drinking purpose without treatment and scenario alarms required for proper sanitation and disposal of the drainage system.

Keywords: Mullaiperiyar River, Fecal coliforms, Shigella dysentery, Xenobiotics, Sanitation.