Seasonal assessment of Pathogenic Bacteria from Waters of Upper Lake Bhopal

The present study evaluates the seasonal distribution and percentage occurrence of harmful bacteria isolated from ten water sampling stations of Upper Lake (Bhojtal), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. The present study show the seasonal bacterial variation in Upper Lake using bacterial load data collected during summer, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter seasons. The study primarily focuses on major fecal contaminants including Escherichia coli, fecal coliforms, fecal streptococci, Staphylococcus spp., Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp. Seasonal fluctuations revealed that bacterial contamination was highest during summer and lowest during monsoon. The total mean bacterial load recorded during summer was 315.153 x 1004 CFU/100 mL, whereas monsoon showed a comparatively lower load of 13.0075 x 1004 CFU/100 mL. The findings indicate that climatic conditions, runoff dynamics, temperature variation and human activities directly influence bacterial abundance and prevalence in the lake ecosystem. The study emphasizes the urgent need for sustainable lake management, sewage control and regular monitoring of microbial flora to maintain the ecological and public health significance of Upper Lake Bhopal.