Prof.  Sudip  Basack
Department of Civil Engineering, Graphic Era Deemed to be University, Dehradun 248002, Uttarakhand,  India

Title: Impacts of Land Use Transition and Urban Growth on Water Quality Dynamics of the Hooghly River, India

Abstract:

Rivers in rapidly urbanizing regions face growing anthropogenic pressures from land use and land cover change. This study assesses how these transformations influence water quality of the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India. Satellite-based land cover mapping used Landsat imagery from two epochs processed in Google Earth Engine. A supervised support vector machine classifier separated four LULC classes (built-up, agriculture, tree cover, and waterbodies) within buffer zones extending from the riverbank. Ground-truth validation showed high classification reliability. Concurrently, water samples were collected at six monitoring sites along the river and analysed for pH, alkalinity, total dissolved solids, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, and total coliform, additionally, historical datasets were used for comparison. Results indicate substantial expansion of built-up and agricultural areas accompanied by loss of tree cover and wetlands across the riparian zone. These land cover shifts, together with rising population pressure and increasing impervious surfaces, have altered runoff dynamics and reduced natural filtration, contributing to higher pollutant loads entering the river. Measured water quality indicators show clear deterioration over time, with deteriorating trends strongest near urbanized localities. The findings highlight an urgent need for integrated watershed governance, improved land-use planning, and enhanced wastewater management to stem further decline. By linking landscape change to aquatic health, the study provides actionable evidence to inform policy and river restoration efforts aimed at protecting the Hooghly River’s ecological and socio-economic services under ongoing urban expansion. Recommended interventions include strict land-use controls, wetland conservation, targeted sewage treatment upgrades, and community-based pollution monitoring programs nationwide.

Keywords: Land Use and Land Cover; Water Quality; Hooghly River; Remote Sensing; GIS; Environmental Monitoring.

Biography:

Prof. (Dr.) Sudip Basack, FIE, CEng, MASCE, is a civil engineering professional with extensive academic and leadership experience in India and abroad. He has published over 125 papers, supervised more than 10 postgraduate and PhD researchers, and executed funded projects across universities. A recipient of multiple national and international research awards, he also serves as a reviewer for leading journals and has undertaken academic visits to several countries, including the USA, UK, Germany, and Australia.

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Coauthor and Co-presenter:

Ghritartha Goswami

North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and TechnologyHydro Informatics Engineer, Hydro Informatics Unit, Water Resources Department, Assam Water Center

Dr. Ghritartha Goswami, B.E., M.Tech., PhD., C.Eng., AMIE, LM-IWRS, Aff.M-ASCE, is a Hydro-Informatics Engineer at the Hydro Informatics Unit, Water Resources Department, Govt. of Assam. His work focuses on hydrological and hydrodynamic modelling, water availability, climate change impacts, and saline intrusion. With above 50 publications, conference contributions and patents, he remains active in national and international technical events.