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J. Env. Bio-Sci., 2019: Vol. 33 (2): 263-268 ISSN 0973-6913 (Print), ISSN 0976-3384 (On Line)

BIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF KUND WATER OF RAJGRIH, INDIA

Punit Kr., Arvind. Kr. Singh, Rampravesh Pd., Rohit Kr. Singh1, Arun Kr. Singh and Shivadhar Sharma*
Deptt. of Chemistry,
Magadh University, Bodhgaya - 824234
1-
P. G. Deptt. of Environmental Science, M. U., Bodh-Gaya.
* Institute of Biochemistry, M. U., Bodh-Gaya.
Email*: sharma.shivadhar@gmail.com

Received: 04-07-2019 Accepted: 25-12-2019

There are forteen kunds in Rajgrih. Several kunds have hot water among which the Brahm Kund has hotest water with temperature
nearly 45°C. The water in kund comes from stream that is understood to initiate from the caps in the hills surrounding the place.
The water of all the fourteen kunds were collected and the samples were analyzed for various pollution parameters like pH, T. D.
S. (Total Dissolved Solid), alkalinity, hardness, chloride, fluoride, B. O. D (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), C. O. D. (Chemical Oxygen
Demand), phosphate and coliform. The study shows that spring water is safe for all the purposes of human being.
Key words: Hot Spring Water, Coliform, Rajgrih

Water pollution is major cause of global concern as it leeds to
the onset of numerous fatal diseases due to deleterious effects
of pollutant on human health (Gupta et al., 2009, Jindal 2010,
Shahini et al., 2011). Water quality is important to our lives
because it is essential to support physiological activity cause
any biological cell (Massad et al., 2002, Agrwal et al., 2010,
Upadhaya et al., 2010). The water scarcity is definitely an
issue we are dealing with today, it has far recalling complication
in future. The world is expressing the surging population and
so is our county all so. The increasing population is intensifying
pressure on our limited water supply not only are growing
population a problem, but global water supplying is also
shrinking specially in our country ground water aquifers are
being pumped out at a rate greater than it can naturally be
replenished. These over all scarcity issue are triggering scripted
as more specific problem in many area of life, specially health
care and the environment. So quality of surface water like spring
water, pond, river and lake water is required to be maintained.
Chemical contamination of water always draws more attention
because the effect of chemical contamination on human health
is dramatic (Raw et al., 2013, Singh et al., 2013, Sohari et al.,
2014, Khanan et al., 2014). The most serious water quality
issue measured by health impact, is microbiological
contamination access to clean water is fundamental human
health. The importance of water to human health and well being
is in capsulated. in the human right water, reaffirmed by the
united nation in (2010) which entitles everyone to sufficient,
safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable
NAAS Rating (2019)-4.43
water for personal and domestic uses. A suffocated health
impact modal predicts that drinking water with fecal
contamination at fecal coliform per 100 milliliter of water carries
seven and half time more risk than drinking water contaminated
with arsenic at 50 micro gram per litre (Godfrey et al., 2011,
Bain et al., 2012, Gleesion 1997). An estimated seventeen
present of child deaths are aqubuted to diarrehoea. Which is
cause by facial contamination of food water (Lw et al., 2012,
Esrey et al., 1985, Fewtrell, 2005, Clasen et al., 2006, Ligon
2012). Geochemical studies of ground water as well as surface
water are essential to characterized the variation in water quality
as well as to assess its suitability for various purposes. During
the past decade carious geochemical method have been
developed and successfully used to assess the quality of ground
water as well as surface water (Park et al., 2005, Naik et al.,
2009 and Xiao et al., 2012). Recently (Shethy et al., 2016)
have been reported hydrogeochemical characterization of
ground water in southern gangatic plain. Though the study
area the covered is Rajgrih nalanda area in bihar but the could
not study the famous Kunds located in proper Rajgrih. The
present paper reports the quality of Kunds water located in
proper rajgrih.
Study area: The study areas covers the Kunds located in
Rajgrih (Popularly known as Rajgir) which is a city notified
area in Nalanda district. In the Indian state of Bihar. The city of
Rajgrih was the first capital of Magadh State that would
eventially evolved into the Mouryan empire. Its data of origin is
Unknown, although Ceramics dating to about one thousand
 KUMAR., KUMAR, SINGH, RAMPARVESH., SINGH, SINGH AND SHARMA
BC have been found in the city. Thus place is also notable in
Buddhism & Janism as one of the favorite places for Gautam
Buddha and Mahivir and the well known "Atanaliya" conference
was held at Vultur's pick mountain of the place. The place is
located on NH 82 and its green valley is surrounded by rocky
hills called rajgrih hills. It is an international place and has come
up as one of the most important pilgrims for Buddist. It is famous
not only as a place of worship but it is well known as heat and
winter resort with its hot water Kunds. These Kunds are said to
contain some medicinal properties which help in the cure of
many skin and stomach disease. The added attraction of rajgrih
is the ropeway which take up hills to shanti stupe, monasteries
built by the Japanese devotees. On the top of ratnagiri hills.
The buty of the place along with religious belief invite tourist
from the country and abroad throughout a year. The geology of
the place consist of ultra basics rocks with asbestos, shop
stones vinyl fluoride, magnesite. Its longitude is 85°28" E and
Latitude is 25°08" N. The study area experiences tropical to
subtropical elimate with an average annual rainfall of 1205 mm,
mainly from south-west monsoon. There are 14 Kunds located
in Rajgrih city viz Brahma Kund, Surya Kunds, Kashi dhara
Kund, Vyas Kund, Sita Kund, Chandra Kund, Ganga-Yamuna
Kund, Ganesh Kund, Gauri Kund, Ram-Laxman Kund and Ahilya
Kund. Sarswati Kund is the only cold water Kund while other
kunds are hot water kunds. The hottest water kunds is the
Brahm kund with water temperature of about 45°C, All the kunds
are used by local people and pillgrims for bathing drinking and
cooking purposes as it is belived their water helps cure several
diseases. The source of water for most of the kunds is Saptarni
Caves up in the hills.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Water samples we have collected from all the 14 kunds of Rajgrih
by grab sampling method. The pH of the samples was determine
at the time of the sampling on the spot by digital pH meter
there after the samples were brought to lab for analysis after
preserving them by adding a little H2SO4. The parameters like
pH, TDS, Alkalinity, Hardness, Chloride, Fluoride, BOD, COD,
Phosphate and Coliform. Where determined using the standard
method of analysis (APHA, AWWA, WBPCF 1992). Coliform
determination was done by Ennumeration of viable cell according
to Robert et al. (1995). A serial decimal dilution was prepared
using maximum Recovery Diluents. The water samples where
diluted (10-1 - 10-4) and pipitted out on R2-A using spraid plate
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method and incubated at 20-22°C for three days. Gram
steaming where use to identify bacteria present on R2-A ager.
100 ml of samples were filtered through 0.45 mm pore size
cellos nitrate membrane filter and the filter were subsequently
transferred into Endo Agar and it was inculpated as 35°C for
22-24 hour. A confirmatory test of the coliform was done by
Inoculatory culture into two brilliant green 2% Bile broth test
tubes, each having a Durham Test tube and test tube counting
1% trypton water. One of the two test-tube was incubated at
34°C for 45 hour and other with tripton water was incubated
at 44°C for 24 hour now 0.2 ml Kovac's reagent was added to
tripton water to detected indole formation (A red colour layer
on surface). Gas released in durham test tube indicated the
presence of coliform. Alkalinity and calcium hardness were
determined by titrimetric method while fluoride was
determined by SPANDS method.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The values of different pollution parameter of all the 14 kunds
have been presented in Table 1. The pH of water use for
domestic purposes is very-very important as it affects test,
corosivity, coagulation, and effeciency of chlorination the pH
of water samples of different kund of Rajgrih varies from 6.60
to 7.60 with average 6.92. Most of the kunds have exhibit pH
in acidic range that is below 7. Only three kunds have pH
greater than seven with maximum 7.6 for Sarswati kund, Ram
Laxman Kund and Ahilaya kund have almost the same pH
value and are shown in the graph .
The pH value of various ponds of Rajgrih runs from 6.60 to
7.60 most of the kunds water have pH in acidic range. The
variation in pH of different kund is very small as the skating
values is only it is also obvious from the graph which produces
almost state line parallel to the kund axis. The slight deviation
in pH from 7 may be attributed to the disolution of cations of
week base which after undergoing hydrolysis in water
produces H+.
M  H 2 O  M ( OH ) H
n n 1 
However, the value of pH for all the kunds springs each within
the desirable limit of BIS Indian standards that is 6.5 - 8.5.
The Total dissolve solid of kunds water has been found in the
range of 100 to 129 PPM. the graph shows three maxima in
decreasing order. The maximum value of TDS is found in
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Table 1: Physico-Chemical parameters

Sl. Alkalinity Hardness Chloride Fluoride BOD COD Phosphate Coliform
pH TDS
No. Mg/l Mg/l Mg/l Mg/l Mg/l Mg/l Mg/l MPN/100ml

Braham
1 6.60 110 110 2.33 9.05 1.00 0.64 1.28 0.03 3
Kund

Surya
2 6.98 110 280 3.13 10.10 0.92 0.56 1.12 0.04 4
Kund

Kashidhara
3 6.67 110 190 3.12 9.87 0.92 0.62 1.24 0.07 6
Kund

Markandya
4 6.87 111 310 2.65 9.86 1.01 0.68 1.24 0.05 5
Kund

Makhum
5 6.90 112 140 2.35 9.88 0.89 0.54 1.02 0.04 7
Kund

Saraswati
6 7.60 129 256 4.65 10.22 0.98 0.59 1.08 0.06 5
Kund

Vayas
7 6.80 108 298 2.45 9.89 0.94 0.69 1.14 0.03 8
Kund

Sita
8 6.99 100 210 3.11 9.86 0.89 0.52 1.14 0.04 5
Kund

Chandra
9 6.87 106 280 3.34 9.76 1.03 0.64 1.28 0.07 4
Kund

Ganga
10 6.90 112 213 2.86 9.93 1.11 0.75 1.40 0.05 6
Kund

Ganesh
11 6.85 120 220 2.56 10.00 0.80 0.86 1.63 0.06 6
Kund

Gauri
12 6.90 111 111 3.89 10.45 1.11 0.68 1.23 0.08 7
Kund

Ram
13 Laxman 7.01 118 298 5.34 10.22 0.99 0.65 1.20 0.08 9
Kund

Ahilya
14 7.00 113 130 4.34 9.83 0.96 0.65 1.21 0.05 8
Kund

Average 6.92 112.14 217.57 3.29 9.92 0.97 0.65 1.23 0.05 5.93

Standard
0.2280 6.7920 72.4364 0.9299 0.3165 0.0848 0.0874 0.1494 0.0169 1.7305
Deviation
KUMAR., KUMAR, SINGH, RAMPARVESH., SINGH, SINGH AND SHARMA (266)

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Sarswati Kund (Sl. No. 6) with 129 PPM followed by Ganesh
Kund (Sl. No. 11) with 120 PPM and the smallest maxima is
found in Laxman Kund (Sl. No. 13) with value 118 PPM. The
standard deviation is found 6.7956 PPM. The maximum value
of TDS may be due to free in flow of rains water from the
unsemented surface surrounding the Kund which carries a
large conc. of dissolved solid with it. The water of all the kund
springs is safe with respect of TDS as values are match below
the desirable limit 500 PPM.
The alkalinity of Kund springs water samples has been found
between 310 to 110 PPM. The graph of alkalinity is a zig-zag
type with maxima in Markanday Kund spring (Sl. No. 4) with
310 PPM followed by Vyas Kund (Sl. No. 7) and Ram-Laxman
Kund (Sl. No. 13) with 298 PPM. The minimum value of
alkalinity is found with Bramh Kund spring water. The value of
alkalinity of all the kund spring water except Markanday Kund,
Vyas Kund, Ram-Laxman Kund, Surya Kund, Chandra Kund
and Sarswati Kund is either equal to or less than the desirable
limit 200 PPM. The permissible limit of alkalinity is 600 PPM
and hence all the Kund springs water is safe for use for different
purposes.
Hardness of Kund water runs from 5.34 to 2.33 PPM. The
hardness of Kund springs water is much less than alkalinity
which indicate the presence of salt of sodium and potassium
 in addition to calcium and magnesium. Again the graph is zig-
zag type having two humph as it has two maximum one at
Ram-Laxman Kund (Sl. No. 13) and other at Sarswati Kund
(Sl. No. 6). The values of hardness of kund spring water is
much less the desirable limit 300 PPM and permissible limit
600 PPM. As the hardness value is much less than alkalinity
value, it is only carbonate hardness in these Kund springs
water. Again the skating value of hardness in these kund is
very small that is  9299.
With respect to chloride all the kunds water have almost the
same value as the graph is almost straight line with slight
deviation at sarswati kund (Sl. No. 6) and Gauri Kund (Sl. No.
2) the values runs from 9.05 to 10.45 PPM. When is much
less than the desirable limit 250 PPM and permisiable limit
1000 PPM. Similar is the case of variation with fluoride which
runs from 0.89 to 1.11 PPM. The skating value is very-very
small that is which is also clear from its strength like curve
parallel to the base line. The value of fluoride is also below the
permissible limit is 1.5 PPM.
All the kund spring water have very small value of BOD (0.52
to 0.86 PPM) and COD values (1.02 to 1.63 PPM) and thus
they have very least amount of dissolve organic and inorganic
pollutant.
The value of phosphate is found between 0.03 to 0.08 PPM
which is again very small and all the ponds water are almost
similar with respect to phosphate the graph is almost state
line parallel to base line.
The Coliform value runs from 03 to 09 MPN/100 ml with average
value 5.92. The graph is zig-zag with maximum at Ram-Laxman
Kund (Sl. No. 13) with value 9 MPN/100 ml. The value of coliform
are also much less than the desirable limit and hence microbial
quality of all the Kund spring water is fine.
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