SEASONAL STATUS OF THE DIVERSITY OF PHYTOPLANKTON IN RIVER GOMATI AT JAUNPUR (U.P.), INDIA.

The river Gomati is popularly known as "Aadi-Ganga". Gomati river is an important tributary of river Ganga and perennial of Awadh plains. The river Gomati originates from MadhoganjTanda village in Pilibhit district (U.P.), run across the major part of U.P. covering nine districts and 940 km stretch area. It passes through the district of Shahjahanpur, Lakhimpurkheri, Hardoi, Sitapur, Lucknow, Barabanki, Sultanpur, Jaunpur and ultimately merges in Ganga river, near SaidpurKaithi in Varanasi. A study was carried out to observe phytoplankton diversity and distribution in three different seasons (monsoon, winter, summer) at different sites during 2010-2011. The phytoplankton (algal) community of river Gomati was represented by four algal group viz. Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Euglenophyceae and Bacillariophyceae. Various genera of algae belonging to Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Euglenophyceae and Bacillariophyceae were recorded from different sites of the river Gomati. Phytoplankton are significant formal natural occupier of all water bodies. Monitoring programmes of phytoplankton are very important. They may provide information on possible new introductions and may serve as early warning system to detect the pollution level. Phytoplankton population showed a positive correlation with pH, DO, alkalinity, Phosphate, nitrate and negative correlation with temperature and chloride. Many of the algal species, of the total reported from the river Gomati like Aulosira, Microcystis, Oscillatoria, Stigonema, Chlamydomonas, Chlorella, Pediastrum, Euglena, Cyelotella, Navicula, Nitzschia etc. were recognized as pollution indicators.The main source of the river were discharged of municipal, domestic and industrial water, human excreta agricultural runoff and burning of corpse. In the present study role of phytoplankton as bioindicator in aquatic health as well as their role in survival of aquatic taxa of animals in river Gomati has been discussed. Proper biological and chemical treatment of domestic sewage and industrial effluents before discharge to river system in suggested