High ammonia levels in Yamuna disrupt drinking water supply
Production from Wazirabad, Chandrawal plants dips by 50%
Drinking water supply remained affected in several parts of the national capital after ammonia levels in the Yamuna spiked sharply, officials said on Friday.
The ammonia concentration at the Wazirabad reservoir has reached three parts per million (ppm), far exceeding the treatable limit of one ppm at Delhi’s water treatment plants.
As a result, water output from Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants has dropped by nearly 50 per cent, impacting supply in several areas of the city, they said. The situation was further aggravated by reduced availability of raw water from the Delhi Sub-Branch (DSB) canal and the Carrier Lined Channel (CLC).
According to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the diversion of water by Haryana and the absence of raw water from the Delhi Branch Canal are expected to affect water supply in large parts of Delhi for the next two weeks. Water production at several key facilities, including Haiderpur Treatment Plant, Phase I and Phase II, as well as plants at Bawana, Dwarka and Nangloi, will be impacted till February 4.
In a statement, the DJB said it was making efforts to manage the crisis, adding that water production at the affected plants will remain curtailed till the conditions improve. Residents have been advised to use water sparingly during this period.
Meanwhile, the Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Department, in a letter dated January 19, informed that from January 20 to February 4, the maximum possible raw water has been diverted from the CLC towards Wazirabad, while no raw water has been supplied through the DSB canal.
Reacting to this, AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said the Capital is facing a major water crisis, with around 50-60 per cent of the city’s population likely to remain affected till February 4.
He said the major reason behind the crisis is the shutdown of the Wazirabad and Chandrawal plants, which together account for around 200MGD, due to high ammonia levels.
He alleged that when AAP earlier said ammonia levels rise because of industrial waste coming from Haryana, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and the BJP labelled the claim as false and termed it political blame-shifting.
“Now, the BJP has understood that industrial waste from Haryana is indeed causing high ammonia levels,” he said, adding that the shutdown of the two plants resulted in the loss of 200 MGD of supply.
