ASSESSMENT OF WATER QUALITY OF HINDON RIVER IN GHAZIABAD AND NOIDA, INDIA BY USING MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL METHODS

The Hindon River is an important River of western Uttar Pradesh. The river is highly polluted due to industrial, municipal and agricultural activities. In the present study, water quality of river Hindon is assessed by using Multivariate statistical methods. Water quality data obtained from eight different sampling stations has been subjected to Pearson correlation, principal component analysis and cluster analysis. Principal component analysis yields three major components which were responsible for 84% of total variance within the data set. First factor which is controlled by Total Dissolved Solids, Total Hardness, and chloride explains 36.85% of total variance. The second factor, having strong positive loading of temperature and pH explains 28.34% of the total variance and third factor that can be attributed to organic pollution is responsible for 19.71% of total variance. Hierarchical cluster analysis was carried out to classify sampling stations of certain similarity which grouped eight different sites into two clusters. Thus, the present study has helped to recognize the major components contributing to water quality and has further illustrated the significance of multivariate techniques for analysis and elucidation of water quality data.