Impact of Domestic Sewage on Aquatic Invertebrate Diversity in Ponds of Nilanga, District Latur (Maharashtra, India)

Freshwater ponds in rural and semi-urban regions are increasingly subjected to domestic sewage discharge, leading to deterioration of water quality and loss of aquatic biodiversity Present study evaluates the impact of domestic sewage on aquatic invertebrate diversity in freshwater ponds of Nilanga taluka, Latur district, Maharashtra. For this purpose, 10 village ponds were selected. Seasonal sampling was undertaken and the water samples were analysed for physico-chemical parameters. The Aquatic invertebrates, particularly benthic macro-invertebrates and zooplankton, were collected and identified. The results indicated significant reduction in species richness and diversity indices in sewage-affected ponds, with dominance of pollution-tolerant taxa. In contrast, control ponds exhibited higher diversity and balanced community composition. The study highlights that the. aquatic invertebrates serve as bioindicators of organic pollution.