Spatial variation in ciliate communities with respect to water quality in the Delhi NCR stretch of River Yamuna, India

The River Yamuna emerges from Saptarishi Kund, Yamunotri and merge with River Ganges at Allahabad, India. Anthropogenic stress has affected the water quality of the river Yamuna drastically in the stretch traversing Delhi and its satellite towns (National Capital Region, NCR). In the present study, effect of water quality on the microbial life in the River Yamuna was analyzed using ciliate communities (Protista, Ciliophora) as bio-indicators. Water samples were collected from six sampling sites chosen according to the levels of pollution along the river and water quality was analysed using standard physicochemical factors. As the river traverses Delhi NCR, water quality deteriorates considerably as indicated by the Water Quality Index at the selected sampling sites. Seventy-four ciliate species representing nine classes were recorded. Based on the Shannon diversity index, maximum species diversity was found at the point where the river enters Delhi. The saprobity index showed the river water was beta-mesosaprobic when the river enters Delhi and alpha-mesosaprobic at downstream sites after the first major drain outfall. Significant relationship between the spatial variation in ciliate communities and abiotic parameters indicate that ciliates can be used as effective bioindicators of pollution in the River Yamuna.