ABSTRACT
Heavy metals severely reduce sediment and water quality, affecting organisms in aquatic ecosystems due to their persistence, toxic nature, and ability to bioaccumulate in the food chain (Xiong et al., 2013). Small-scale industrial efuents; municipal sewage disposal; agricultural runoff; and the use of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides have increased pollution of the Manipur River basin wetlands, including Loktak (Meitei and Prasad, 2015). Nearly 0.28 million people living within the Nambul River catchment generate, on a daily basis, an estimated 72.2 million tons of solid waste and 31,027 m3 of sewage. Similarly, 4.9 million tons of solid waste and 2,121 m3 of sewage from the Nambol River drain into Loktak on a daily basis (Trishal and Manihar, 2002). Singh et al. (2013) reported that the discharge of various heavy metals by the Nambul River into Loktak plays a signicant role in the pollution of the wetland.
