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Delhi Jal Board warns of hit to water supply after ammonia levels rise
At least 50% of water production was curtailed at Wazirabad and 25% at Chandrawal WTPs on Tuesday, said officials.
Production of clean water has been affected at water treatment plants (WTP) in Wazirabad and Chandrawal due to high levels of ammonia in the Yamuna which will likely affect water supply in various parts of the city, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday.
Chandrawal and Wazirabad WTPs have a capacity of 90 million gallons per day (MGD) and 135 MGD, respectively. These plants supply drinking water to parts of northeast, central, west, and south Delhi.
A Delhi Jal Board official, who asked not to be named, said that 50% of water production was curtailed at Wazirabad and 25% at Chandrawal WTPs on Tuesday. “Due to high level of pollutants in the Yamuna, water production has been curtailed from the two WTPs. Therefore, only low-pressure supply is available from December 25 evening till the situation improves,” said the official.
READ | Delhi Jal Board: No supply crisis, operations above capacity
However, DJB vice chairperson Somnath Bharti said the Chandrawal WTP was working at 100% capacity on Tuesday evening at 9pm while Wazirabad WTP was working at 70% capacity, nearly 24 hours after DJB announced that the two WTPs were working at reduced capacities.
“The situation is still improving, and DJB is working hard to restore normalcy in both the WTPs. At Chandrawal WTP, ammonia treating facility is under construction and will be inbuilt in the new upcoming WTP which can cure ammonia,” Bharti said. Bharti said Wazirabad WTP mostly supplies water to areas in Old Delhi as well as some parts in south Delhi such as Greater Kailash I adding that the supply to these areas might be at low pressure.
READ | Water supply in Delhi to be hit for 2 days: DJB
DJB plants can treat up to 1ppm of ammonia in raw water through chlorination, but using the chemical beyond this limit leads to the production of toxic compounds. Whenever ammonia levels breach the 1ppm mark, operations at water treatment plants are hit. On Monday the ammonia level reached 2.3ppm.
