ABSTRACT Damodar River, a rain fed tributary of lower Ganga and one of the major rivers in East India, originates from Chotanagpur plateau of Jharkhand and ends at the confluence of Hoogly river in West Bengal. The river plays a key role in providing a source of drinking water, water for irrigation and power, industrial needs and coal mining activities in the Damodar River Basin. The river, once known as the ‘River of Sorrow’ because of the flood havoc it used to cause, has now turned into a ‘River of Agony’ due to the environmental degradation of the river resulting from the indiscriminate discharge of domestic, industrial and mining wastes from the basin. A river stretch of approximately 68 km from the downstream of Panchet Dam to the upstream of Durgapur Barrage in West Bengal passing through main industrial belt of the state and covering important cities like Kulti, Asansol, Raniganj and Durgapur has been selected for the study. The stretch is receiving a large number of point and non-point sources of pollution from thermal power plants, coalieries and coal based industries, steel, cement, fertilizers, chemical and other plants as well as domestic and agricultural areas that lead to the pollution to river either directly or through a numerous drains and nullahs. In the present study, 45 grab samples were collected from the main river, its tributaries, nullahs, industrial drains and municipalities and analyzed in situ / in laboratories for different water quality parameters in the month of January and February 2008. The work also involved the assessment of population, land use pattern, agriculture, industry and mining activities quantitatively and qualitatively in the study area. The work further involved in transformation of the measured WQ parameters into a single value index using original as well as modified NSF WQI system. The result reveals a good WQ profile of the river stretch, but meagre conditions of nullahs. Based upon the results, a WQ map of the study area has been prepared which shows the locations and extent of polluted stretches. When compared with CPCB and Indian standards for individual parameters, it is found that coliform and BOD are the most critical parameters indicating sewage pollution in the study stretch. Existing conservation measures are identified and future management plan is suggested including installation of 2 x 100 MLD STPs and 1 x 60 MLD STP, CETPs, low cost toilets, solid waste management system etc. along with non-technical aspects like public awareness, enforcement of laws etc. to improve the overall quality of the river water. i ii.