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In late December 2019, a novel coronavirus, COVID −19 originated in Wuhan city of China, and significant improvement in not only the air quality but also the water quality. Therefore, the current study demonstrates the changes in water quality parameters of the Ghaggar river, Punjab, India. The variations in the water quality of the Ghaggar river have been examined during the pre-, during, and post-pandemic periods. The maximum temperature of the Ghaggar river for all monitoring stations was between 28 to 37°C during the pandemic period, whereas the maximum dissolved oxygen value varied from 3 to 7 mg/L. The maximum pH obtained from the monitoring stations was reported to be 7.7 to 8.0, except chhatbir monitoring station (7.6). The maximum biochemical oxygen demand for all monitoring stations was found to be between 18–53 mg/L. Strong positive correlations were observed between total coliform and fecal coliform for pre (0.76) and during (0.89) the pandemic periods. Similar significant positive correlations were recorded between BOD and conductivity for pre (0.75) and during (0.58) pandemic periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) originated in Wuhan city of China in late December 2019 and affected the (atmosphere and hydrosphere) and also impacted economic activities due to the lockdown. Several studies have reported the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on significant changes in the air quality index, but only a few studies have reported the relationship between water quality parameters and COVID-19. The findings of the current study revealed that the mean values of pH in the Yamuna river were reported to be 7.77 ± 0.31, 7.55 ± 0.40, and 7.31 ± 0.44 for pre-, during, and post-pandemic periods. The changes in the pH values indicated that Yamuna water quality became less alkaline due to restricted industrial activities along the river during the lockdown period. Further, the mean values of COD were observed to be 60.57 ± 16.79, 62.99 ± 23.17, and 129.06 ± 36.96; the BOD values were 18.20 ± 8.42, 20.16 ± 5.22, and 33.35 ± 10.35, and DO values were 3.30 ± 1.15, 3.20 ± 0.96, and 3.49 ± 1.56 respectively for pre-, during, and post-pandemic periods. The results of these parameters indicated that agriculture, including local source discharges, was a major factor affecting water quality parameters during the pandemic period. According to the study, there is a significant positive association between the BOD and COD with values 0.99, 0.98, and 0.94, respectively, whereas a strong negative correlation was calculated between DO, COD, BOD for pre-, during, and post-pandemic periods. This study would be enlightening among the scientists, researchers, and government to address the water issues along with policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]