NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that rising levels of ammonia due to dumping of industrial waste into the Yamuna river in Haryana’s Panipat, has forced Delhi’s Chandrawal and Wazirabad water treatment plants to “stop” operations.
Kejriwal, who is also the Delhi Jal Board chairman, said that he was monitoring the situation closely and has directed the DJB to ensure “no part of Delhi goes dry, even if it means diverting water from other plants to Wazirabad”.
“High ammonia levels due to industrial waste being dumped into the Yamuna at Panipat has forced Chandrawal and Wazirabad Water Treatment Plants to stop operations,” the chief minister wrote in a tweet.
He said the Haryana government has given the assurance that it would release additional water in the river soon to dilute the ammonia concentration.
The DJB, in a statement, said discharge of high level of pollutants in the Yamuna in Haryana impacted operations at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla water treatment plants.
The ammonia level in the Yamuna increased to 3.2 mg/litre on Monday morning. As a result of continuous efforts to rationalise water supply, all three water treatment plants in Wazirabad are running at their full capacity and the ammonia level in Yamuna has decreased to 1.6 mg/l, the DJB said adding that water will be available at low pressure for a few more days, or till the situation becomes completely normal.
“The public is advised to make judicious use of water tankers,” the DJB said.
Affected areas
Water supply will be affected in parts of Northeast Delhi, West Delhi, North Delhi, Central Delhi, South Delhi, including Delhi Cantonment, and New Delhi Municipal Council areas.
(With agency inputs)