PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF CONSERVATION MEASURES FOR RANKALA LAKE

A DISSERTATION

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of the degree

of

MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY

in

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF RIVERS AND LAKES

by

ABHIJEET SURESH GHONE

ALTERNATE HYDRO ENERGY CENTRE

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

ROORKEE – 247667 ()

MAY 2015 ABSTRACT

Lake is an important fresh water source which provides number of tangible and intangible benefits. The lake environment is extremely sensitive to changes in its watershed. These lakes are under increasing stress due to growing demands of freshwater, urbanization and human interference in the catchments and thus proper conservation and management of lakes is required. Conservation, restoration or proper functioning of the lake affects society, life, ecosystem or natural cycles so when conservation measures are been implemented regarding this lakes, evaluation of them becomes necessary.

Rankala Lake is situated in the heart of city of . The lake was earlier used for providing drinking water to Kolhapur city but is now confined mainly to irrigational and recreational use. Various conservation measures have been implemented on lake over the years but these measures were not able to restore the lake. In the present study, performance evaluation of the conservation measures implemented on Rankala Lake has been done. Different conservation measures which have been implemented on lake are explained and they are evaluated with respect to the present status of the lake. In present status of the lake different aspects of the lake are evaluated including physical condition, water quality, wastewater inflow, silt amount, depth, suitability of the lake for recreational and aesthetic enjoyment, nutrient ratio etc. The present status of the conservation measures implemented on lake is also monitored. Thus in present status lake is facing many problems so there are many questions arousing regarding these conservation measures which has been implemented on lake. Thus performance evaluation of these conservation measures becomes necessary to evaluate their effect on lake.

By comparing status of the lake before and after implementation of conservation measures, it has been evaluated that, not much of the effect of this conservation measures on Rankala Lake. The conservation measures implemented were neither able to improve the lake water quality nor maintain it to a level that it can serve recreation and also irrigation purposes clearly without any treatment. This conservation measures were not able to stop the pollution in Rankala Lake due to persistent sewage flow and other pollution activities. Due to persistent of these activities, the effects of conservation measures implemented on lake were not observed in long run. Provided further that, in current status, lake is found to be of hypereutrophic status, it can recover about 140000 dumpers of silt, it is receiving around 14 MLD of sewage and its maximum depth is observed as 9.5 M. Thus suggestions are given for effective implementation of this conservation measures and for lake conservation in future.

The study will provide information to stakeholders on present and past status of the lake involving different conservation and management aspects of the lake and it will also help KMC in analyzing the different conservation measures implemented.