Simulating aeration for improving water quality of Sanjay Van Lake with the help of biological indicators
Student name: Ms Bhavya Chawla
Guide: Ms Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri
Year of completion: 2016
Host Organisation: TERI University
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Dr Sudipta Chatterjee
Abstract: Water has been known to form the basis of the life on earth. All the species
irrespective of their taxonomic classification require water for their sustenance.
Water forms the habitat of aquatic species unlike the terrestrial and Arial ones which
feed on water. In olden times India had rich heritage of flora and fauna preserved in
its ridges, forests with water bodies such as ponds, lakes, and rivers in their vicinity.
But now as the population has burgeoned, these areas have shrunk and only a
limited number of these still exist. One of the areas of South Delhi Mehrauli Ridge
is Sanjay Van Lake where the natural habitat is preserved under the banner of a
notified reserve forest. The Van has undergone restoration activities since 2007 and
has been able to revive its native flora and fauna. The place is now known as a
paradise of bird watchers and has potential to become a bird sanctuary even. Being
in the heart of India, Delhi is a city with the most modern urban infrastructures and
problems accompanying them such as pollution, mismanagement, encroachment
over these areas. Thus, in order to promote as well as advance towards making it a
bird sanctuary that encloses a medicinal forest as well as Aravalli City forest in its
boundaries, installation of aerators was proposed by DDA and WWN in the inter-
linked pond system of SVL. Aeration has been a technique well known for
increasing DO concentrations of wastewater as well as freshwater systems.
Experimental analysis for installation of aerators in SVL was carried out and the
increment in DO levels was recorded in TERI University by simulating aeration
conditions in aquariums filled with water samples of ponds of SVL using the
zebrafish as a biological indicator in order to understand the adaptability of the
system with the aquatic species. Watershed Analysis using were done in order to
understand the various characteristics and ecological setting of SVL such as the
elevation profile, contours, DEM and flooding analysis.
