Water resource is most essential basic resource for human being. Today water resource management has become an important issue (Kharake, Pathare, Deshmukh, Arebian J Geosci 14(10):1–10, 2021) for all developing countries. Rapid growth of population and its repetitive activities along the river pose a concerned impact on the river system. The water quality and quantity are under constant pressure by the presence of different human activities like removal of vegetation, industrial activities, and encroachment, domestic and religious activities. These all activities resulted in degradation of water quality. These all problems are largely concentrated in and around urban areas. Keeping this view in the account systematic study has been carried out the water quality of Godavari river in Nashik city. Water samples from 10 sampling stations have been collected during 1st week of June 2019. Physico-chemical parameters have been analyzed by standard method. The Karl Pearson correlation matrix has been established for examining relationship between the water quality parameters, and the study is conducted to analyze the water quality status of Godavari river in terms of water quality index (WQI). The overall values showed good water quality status (WQI 133.44) at upper stream in the study area, but as it enters in urban area water quality becomes deteriorate (WQI 35.01). The field observations reveal that water quality is declining due to many human activities mainly industrial, domestic and religious waste. To analyze the water quality index (WQI) is the main aim of the research with remedial measures to mitigate the deterioration and related consequences in future.