Abstract: River Tawi, the life line of the people of Jammu, provides water for the essential requirements of life to the inhabitants. However, the river is continuously subjected to tremendous anthropogenic pressure resulting in the degraded water quality. In this study, water samples from river Tawi were monitored for various physico-chemical parameters like dissolved oxygen, EC, TDS, pH, temperature, Calcium, Chloride, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Nitrates and Phosphates on monthly basis for two consecutive years at four preselected stations with a view to evaluate its ecological best designated use for various purposes. The study indicates that the quality of water substantially decreases at downstream stations thereby rendering the water unfit for human use.