Abstract

Surface water, comprising 1.2% of Earth's fresh water, is crucial for life on Earth, with rivers being significant sources, requiring river-based resource management to address global water quality challenges. Fresh water is primarily obtained from surface waters, and rivers are significant ecological structures that are required to maintain ecological equilibrium. In many places, the country's rapidly expanding metropolitan areas and population have put the quality of the river's water in jeopardy. Water quality is the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water that affect its suitability for various uses like drinking, irrigation, industrial processes, and aquatic ecosystems. It is crucial to monitor and address factors like natural processes, human activities, and pollution sources to ensure human and environmental health. The present study emphasises the test of water quality in rivers, ponds, and wetlands used for different purposes and the corresponding impact thereon based on a detailed explanation of the monitoring data obtained through laboratory analysis of samples and relevant field observations. An attempt has been made to develop a water quality index (WQI) using seven water quality parameters: hardness, chloride, temperature, total dissolved solid (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO) at sixteen different sampling stations in Jirania sub-division, Tripura. The weighted arithmetic water quality index method was used to find WQI in various locations. The WQI in this area ranged from 45.16 to 77.78, with 77.78 being the maximum value. Three samples, according to WQI, were in the "good" category, while twelve samples were in the "poor" category and one sample were “very poor” category.