Vol. 9, Special Issue 8, Part P (2025)

The existing study was conceded in the Dudhawa reservoir situated in the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh. The aim of the research was to assess the microbial load at both the treatment (cage) and control sites from June to November 2024. Monthly water samples were gathered from the cage culture and control locations, and the Total Plate Count (TPC) was evaluated to analyse the microbial load. The results showed that the TPC was measured throughout the study duration, indicating a meaningful change between the treatment and control sites (p<0.05). Notably, higher TPC values were observed at the cage site, ranging from 0.78 x 10^5 to 1.89 x 10^5 cfu/ml during the monsoon season. Conversely, the control sites recorded the highest TPC count of 1.89 x 10^5 cfu/ml in August and the lowest count of 0.78 x 10^5 cfu/ml in November. The increased TPC values in the cages were linked to factors such as rainfall, nutrient availability, and the build-up of uneaten feed waste at the bottom of the cages. The findings illustrated that the TPC range was significantly greater at the cage site (treatment) associated to the control site. The study concluded that the microbial load observed at both the cage culture and control sites suggested that cage farming in the reservoir does not significantly affect the water quality parameters of the reservoir.