Taps ran dry for lakhs of Delhiites on Tuesday as the Delhi Jal Board was forced to shut down two of its water treatment plants due to alarming pollution in the Yamuna.
It shut down the plants at Chandrawal and Wazirabad on Tuesday morning as ammonia levels in the raw water at Wazirabad pond shot up to 2.6 mg/Litre against the permissible limit of 0.2 mg/L.
The two plants account for 220 million gallons per day (MGD) of the total 835 MGD treated water supplied by the water utility. According to the Jal Board, almost one-third of the Capital’s population that lives in the Walled City, the New Delhi Municipal Council area, and Central, South and North Delhi will be affected as long as the plants remain shut.
The Jal Board was able to meet the morning supply schedule through local storages, but could not supply water in the evening. For those affected, it will provide drinking water through its tanker service.
“The raw water supplied by Haryana has been polluted due to release of industrial pollutants from Sonepat and Panipat drains,” said Jal Board spokesperson Sanjam Chima.
Ms. Chima added that supply will remain affected till ammonia levels come down to a safe level, and that there is no way of knowing when that will be. The Jal Board has written to the Central Pollution Control Board as well as the authorities in Haryana to come up with a solution.
