Assessment of hydro-chemical characteristics and pollution status in Rudrasagar Lake ecosystem integrating pollution indices and geospatial techniques: A framework for sustainable wetland management

Assessment of water quality is fundamental for sustainable ecosystem management as surface waters are alarmingly vulnerable to contamination. Therefore, understanding spatial variation and identifying pollutant sources are vital for robust wetland restoration. In this context, this study presented a comprehensive evaluation of hydro-chemical characteristics of Rudrasagar Lake and their pollution status. In this study, 12 hydro-chemical variables were considered at 24 sampling sites distributed across peripheral and core areas of the lake. Meanwhile, multivariate statistical approach was employed to assess interdependencies among observed variables. Factor analysis identified five potential factors explaining about 80 % of total variance, attributed to anthropogenic pressures and geo-genic processes as dominant controlling factors. This study integrated water quality indices to categorize pollution level as ascertained with WHO guidelines. Comprehensive Pollution Index for Wetland (CPIW) illustrated that most sites (41.67 %) were classified as ‘high pollution zone’ that located in peripheral areas, while 25.0 % were categorised as moderate pollution zone. Similarly, Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo) indicated that 41.67 % of sampling sites exhibited partially contaminated, 37.50 % showed moderate contamination whereas 20.83 % displayed moderate to heavily contamination. Most hydro-chemical variables were influenced primarily by pollution from wastewater, agricultural runoff and municipal discharge. Contamination patterns were dominated primarily by Non-point source pollution like farmland discharge and surface effluents. Peripheral monitoring sites showed higher susceptibility to pollution and contamination. These findings signified substantial alterations in water quality and offer valuable implications for effective wetland management strategies. Immediate policy implementation is recommended to rejuvenate overall wetland health.