(Representative image)

NEW DELHI: Water supply in large parts of the city will remain disrupted on the first two days of the new year. A spike in industrial pollutants as well as rising ammonia levels in Yamuna have impacted the functioning of Delhi Jal Board ’s eight water-treatment plants.

“Pumping of water from Wazirabad, Chandrawal, Haiderpur-I , Haiderpur- II, Okhla, Dwarka, Bawana and Nangloi plants is likely to be affected for the next 48 hours. Supply in north and central Delhi and NDMC and Delhi Cantt areas will be affected. Parts of west Delhi and south Delhi , too, will get water at low pressure,” the DJB said.

The treatment and quality control wing of DJB reported that ammonia level — which ideally should be nil — had reached 1.6ppm. “Water quality in Yamuna has deteriorated rapidly over the last two days. We can only treat 0.5 parts per million ppm of ammonia content and the raw water that we are receiving has 1.6ppm. The Panipat dye drain is bringing all untreated industrial waste into Yamuna due to which colour, chloride, hardness as well as ammonia levels have increased. While we can manage other impurities, the colour and ammonia levels are way beyond acceptable limits,” a senior DJB official said.

This is the second time in the last few months that high levels of ammonia from Haryana have disrupted supply to large parts of the capital. In mid-October, a similar situation arose when taps in entire south and east Delhi went dry. Currently, DJB is drawing water from the Haiderpur canal due to which Bawana and Haiderpur plants, too, have been impacted.

“Both Chandrawal and Wazirabad water plants had to be shut on Saturday night for over six hours. Water from Haiderpur canal is now being used to run Chandrwal and Wazirabad treatment plants. We are monitoring the situation. Any improvement would depend on how much water Haryana releases,” the official added.

On Sunday afternoon, Delhi chief secretary had called a meeting with the Haryana irrigation department. “We are in regular contact with Haryana and constantly monitoring the situation. Residents are advised to store sufficient quantity of water in advance as per their requirement and water tankers will be available on DJB helpline numbers,” a senior DJB official said.

