Modelling chloride-discharge relationships in Krishna river basin

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Hydrology
• Water Quality Management

Background:

• River Krishna water quality is significantly impacted by seasonal rainfall variations.
• Understanding chloride behavior is crucial for managing water resources in South India.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate chloride discharge relationships and identify probable source contributions in the River Krishna.
• To develop seasonal models for predicting chloride concentrations and loads.
• To differentiate between point and non-point source contributions using mass balance.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative and quantitative analysis of chloride discharge at multiple monitoring stations.
• Development of seasonal regression models for chloride concentration and load prediction.
• Application of mass balance techniques to differentiate pollution sources.

Main Results:

• Seasonal variations in rainfall strongly influence River Krishna's chloride levels.
• Developed seasonal models showed good agreement between predicted and observed chloride concentrations and loads.
• Mass balance analysis successfully differentiated between point and non-point chloride sources.

Conclusions:

• The study provides an effective alternative approach for modeling chlorides in large river basins using water quality and flow data.
• Results support the development of targeted water pollution control strategies for the River Krishna basin.