Impact of land use land cover on the river water quality of Loktak catchment in Manipur, India

Land use in a catchment significantly affects the water quality of lakes, rivers, coastal areas and estuaries. The present research focuses on analysing the impact of land use land cover (LULC) of Loktak sub-catchments on water quality of corresponding rivers. Among the nine main rivers in Loktak catchment, Nambul River has the lowest water quality with lowest DO, highest BOD and highest water temperature. The LULC of Nambul sub-catchment shows high coverage of agriculture, indicating high pollutant load from agricultural activities and domestic waste. On the contrary, Khuga River has lower water quality, with higher dense forests and lower agriculture coverage. The probable reason can be prominent Jhum cultivation as Khuga sub-catchment shows higher Jhum coverage. Iril and Thoubal Rivers, with higher forest areas, show better water quality. This would help stakeholders and policymakers while framing management strategies and taking necessary actions in time.