Water supply in Delhi likely to be hit as ammonia levels in Yamuna go up

Residents are advised to store sufficient quantities of water in advance as per requirement, a DJB alert read

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Monday announced that the level of ammonia in the Yamuna river has increased, compromising its water-treating capacity.

Due to the high level of pollutants — ammonia at 3.5 ppm — being received in the Yamuna at the Wazirabad pond, potable water production has been curtailed by 10-30 per cent from various water treatment plants, DJB said in an alert.

"Delhi Jal Board is endeavouring to rationalise the water supply. Therefore, water supply will be available at low pressure from the evening of January 23 till the situation improves. The public is advised to make judicious use of water," the alert noted.

The treatment plans in Wazirabad, Chandrawal, and Haiderpur, catering to south, north and west Delhi, have been affected due to the increased pollution levels in the river caused by the problem of untreated sewage coming in from certain areas of Haryana.

"Residents are advised to store sufficient quantities of water in advance as per requirement. Water tankers will be available on request," the alert read.

DJB, responsible for the supply of potable water in Delhi, has been tackling the problem of high levels of pollution in the Yamuna for a while now.

According to officials, the DJB monitoring team is strictly surveying the river and has found that high ammonia levels are due to the mixing of raw sewage water in the Yamuna through drains connected directly with it at various points like Nathupura, Barrota and Khojkipur in Haryana.

“We have written to Haryana several times regarding the pollution in the Yamuna, but they are not making any efforts,” a source told The Times of India.