An Urban Freshwater Lake Revitalised with the Aid of Chitinolytic Bacteria

Abstract

A wide range of bacterial diversity is found in aquatic ecosystems. Among them, the heterotrophic bacteria play an important role in the cycling of substances directly or indirectly thereby helping in lake restoration. Anasagar lake, an important freshwater lake in Ajmer, Rajasthan is located in the heart of the city. This lake being the chief recreational centre and a place of tourist attraction, receives an influx of many pollutants in the form of agricultural runoff and human interferences due to restaurants and hotels nearby. A study was undertaken of heterotrophic bacteria utilizing chitin. Chitin being an important substance in exoskeleton of coelentrates, molluscs, protozoans, cell wall of various algae and fungi etc. is present in large amounts in the sediments of the lake. A variety of chitinolytic bacteria were isolated from Anasagar lake water thereby helping in degrading the chitin and thus adding to the self-purification process of the freshwater lake.