| Abstrakt: |
The present study was carried out in a perennial lentic water body locally known as Santhi jheel located at Nadia District, West Bengal. It is a large stagnant water body which receives rain water runoff, agricultural runoff etc., making the water body eutrophic. This natural water body is being utilized for extensive fish culture. The macrophytes mainly Eichornea sp. are put along all the margins, as a management strategy to control the eutrophication. The study was aimed to understand the connection between resource use, methods of culturing and environmental impacts. Different physico-chemical properties of water like temperature, pH, DO, COD, BOD, NH3, NO2, NO3, PH4 and biomass, total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium of Eichhornia sp. were analysed for a period of one year. The results showed that the water body is slightly alkaline in nature which is a favorable condition for aquaculture. The nutrients present in water were in the order of K>N>P, whereas in Eichhornia sp. the order was N>K>P. The biomass of the plant was high in summer and similarly the nutrients accumulation was also high in summer. It reveals that, the excess accumulation of nutrients due to agriculture runoff and additional fish feed of the water body can be avoided through Eichhornia sp. The proper management of water hyacinth in natural water bodies helps in recycling of nutrients and materials. Extensive aquaculture along with low-tech, low cost and ecofriendly technology like phytoremediation is advisable for the better utilization of natural resources, as it helps to reduce resource inputs and environmental adverse effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
