The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Saturday warned the public of a possible water crisis as rising ammonia levels in the Yamuna river affected production at the Wazirabad water treatment plant. Water supply has been affected in several areas including Defense Colony, Greater Kailash, ITO, Rajghat, Lok Nayak Hospital, areas under New Delhi Municipal Council, parts of Cantonment area and South Delhi.
According to the bulletin issued by the board, the water production of major water treatment plants will decrease by 25 to 50 percent due to the amount of ammonia exceeding 5 parts per million (ppm). He said that water will be supplied at low pressure to the affected areas until improvements are made.
DJB’s water treatment plant can handle ammonia up to 1 part per million, and beyond this exceeds the capacity of the chlorination plant, according to a DJB official. The Wazirabad plant with a capacity of 131 million gallons per day (MGD) receives water from carrier lined channels or Munak Canal and Yamuna river flows. Raw water from river canals carries industrial wastes (such as fertilizers, dyes and plastics) and decaying organic matter, which is a source of ammonia – a problem that is particularly exacerbated in winter due to high concentrations of pollutants that shrink upstream in the absence of rainfall.
Why should you buy our membership?
You want to be the smartest in the room.
You want access to our award-winning journalism.
You don’t want to be confused and misinformed.
Choose your subscription package