Elevating Health of the Turag River: A Synergistic Water Quality Assessment Approach

The Turag River, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has emerged as a pivotal case study for assessing water pollution. It faces multiple sources of pollutants, including industrial discharges, municipal sewage, agricultural runoff, and urban effluents, which significantly impact water quality. This study employed an integrated approach, combining a Water Quality Index, machine learning algorithms, and geographic information system, to comprehensively evaluate the Turag River’s water quality. Thirty water samples, spanning from the river's mouth to its most polluted areas, were collected and analyzed for various physicochemical parameters (e.g., temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, turbidity, total hardness, and transparency) and heavy metal concentrations (e.g., Na, Mn, Cr, As, Ca, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Fe). The results were assessed against standards set by the World Health Organization and the Department of Environment of Bangladesh. Our findings revealed a significant deterioration in water quality downstream, primarily driven by intensified human activities. Physicochemical parameters indicated that most samples fell within the “poor” to “unfit for consumption” categories, while heavy metals exhibited a range from “excellent” to “unfit for consumption.” This study not only advances our understanding of water pollution dynamics but also equips decision-makers with critical insights to safeguard public health, protect water resources, and sustain vital clean-water-dependent economic activities. Furthermore, it highlights the urgency of implementing effective pollution control measures to restore the ecological equilibrium of the Turag River and similar waterbodies elsewhere.