Ammonia levels rise in Yamuna waters; two plants shut down (The Hindu 15 February 2011)

Pollution at Haryana end threatens water supply to several Delhi areas
Ammonia, chloride levels, hardness rose sharply in raw water supplied from Haryana to Delhi
Consequently, Delhi Jal Board closed Wazirabad, Chandrawal water treatment plants at 2 p.m.
NEW DELHI: Barely a week after Haryana vehemently denied responsibility for polluting the Yamuna, two water treatment plants here in the Capital were shut down after the level of impurities in the water released by the State for Delhi's use was found to be higher than permissible levels.
On Monday, ammonia and chloride levels rose sharply in the raw water supplied from Haryana to Delhi, as did the hardness. Consequently the Delhi Jal Board had to close down the Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants.
With their closure, several areas in North Delhi, North-West Delhi, parts of West Delhi, Central Delhi, parts of South Delhi, NDMC area and Delhi Cantonment will face disruption in supply. Jal Board officials cautioned residents that tanker supply in these areas may not be available due to non-availability of treated water at filling stations.
“The level of ammonia is extremely high at Wazirabad, mainly because of the pollution coming into the river from the Panipat area. The untreated slush has led to the closure of both Wazirabad and Chandrawal plants since 2 p.m.,” said a senior DJB official.
According to the official, the ammonia level was 1.4 ppm against the permissible 0.6 ppm and less. “Such large ammonia levels make it impossible for us to filter the water. Also, the chloride levels have risen sharply. We have alerted the Haryana Chief Secretary and the Haryana State Pollution Control Board [HSPCB].”
A sudden change in the weather has compounded the Jal Board's misery. In the absence of strong sunlight, the Board cannot add more chlorine to treat the water.
“Chlorine is not soluble in water — it mixes with water and stays there. But if the sun is strong, it evaporates easily,” said an official.
The board wants the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Central Government to step in.
“If Haryana claims it is not polluting the Yamuna, and that there are effluent treatment plants at Panipat, how does this untreated waste find its way into the Panipat canal?” asked the official.
Demanding an inspection of Haryana's claim, the official said: “A body comprising Central Government officials and HSPCB and CPCB representatives should inspect the sites and factories to ascertain whether effluents are being treated at all. We have been bringing this transgression to the notice of the authorities, but no action has been taken so far.”
Haryana Irrigation, Forest and Environment Minister Ajay Singh Yadav recently wrote to Union Minister for Forests and Environment Jairam Ramesh blaming untreated effluents from Delhi's 22 drains falling into the river at Badarpur for the pollution. Captain Yadav had claimed “there was no discharge of effluents from any town in Haryana directly into the Yamuna upstream of Wazirabad water works.”