New Delhi: In a span of just 15 days, Delhi was again forced to curtail water production at the Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants after level of ammonia in raw water went up substantially on Tuesday due to high levels of pollutants.Union minister for environment Jairam Ramesh asked the Central Pollution Control Board to submit a report to him on the issue by Wednesday noon. I have asked CPCB to send team for field inspection immediately and report by 12 noon on Wednesday, he told TOI on Tuesday.The minister had written to CMs of Delhi and Haryana last week, asking them to take steps to curtail pollution levels in Yamuna.
According to Delhi Jal Board officials, the level of ammonia in water on Tuesday went up to 1 part per million (PPM) against the permissible 0.6ppm.At 1pm, we were forced to curtail production by 35% in both plants, which have a combined capacity of 210 million gallons per day.By evening,the situation had improved and levels had come down to 0.7ppm but full production could not be started.We are waiting for ammonium level to decrease further, said a DJB official. The partial reduction in water treatment is likely to affect water supply in some areas of north, northwest, parts of west, central and parts of south Delhi, NDMC and Cantonment Board areas though officials said the problem would be restricted only to a reduction in pressure and not a complete halt of supply.Delhi has been reporting afrequent rise in level of ammonia and chloride in raw water.Haryana is supposed to provide optimum quality water to Delhi at Wazirabad since all of it is meant for the capitals drinking needs.However,very often untreated sewage and effluent enters the river near Sonepat and Panipat,leading to high level of pollutants in the raw water. In his letter to Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda,Jairam had asked the administration to increase height and width of dividing wall so that water from a dirty drain doesnt get mixed with a fresh water drain.Delhi,meanwhile,had been given adeadline of 2012 to stop discharging untreated waste into the Yamuna by strictly implementing its river cleaning projects.
WATER SUPPLY HIT: The high level of ammonia affected treatment plants at Wazirabad and Chandrawal
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