A Comparative Assessment of Water Quality in the Pavana River: Urban vs. Suburban Locations in Pune, India

Water pollution continues to be a serious environmental issue that threatens human health and ecological sustainability. In this study, a comparative analysis of water pollution was conducted between urban and suburban/rural areas by identifying locations as “City” and “Outskirts,” and reviewing data for the years 2017-2018 respectively. Water samples werecollected from each location and analysed for various tests like Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), PH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and chlorine content. The analysis showed a significant difference in water pollution sources between the city and the outskirts. The city had the worst water quality in all tested parameters due to high industrial activities, urban runoffand sewage discharge. Water in the outskirts was the least polluted with water since there were few impervious surfaces and low human activities compared to the city. On the other hand, agricultural runoff or diffuse pollution was still a notable issue in suburban/rural areas. This demonstrates the complicated relationships between land use, human activitiesand environmental factors that shape the water quality situation. Such results indicate the necessity of fast pollution control initiatives and sustainable land treatment steps to reduce water pollution in urban and suburban areas. By doing so, it is possible to secure water resources for the present and the next generation.