Delhi Faces Water Shortage As Ammonia Levels Surge In Yamuna

New Delhi: With high ammonia levels in the Yamuna River at the Wazirabad pond, the national capital is going to grapple with water shortages as the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has decided to rationalise the supply by curtailing five to 10 per cent of the water from the other plants till the situation improves.

Ammonia concentrations exceeding 5.0 ppm have curtailed water production at the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant, which is operating at 25-50 per cent less than its capacity, an official statement of the DJB said.    "Due to regular receipt of high pollutant in river Yamuna at Wazirabad pond, the Delhi Jal Board is enduring to rationalise the water supply; the water production will be curtailed 5 to 10 per cent from the Haiderpur Phase-I, Phase-II, Bawana, and Dwarka WTPs till the situation improves," the statement said.    Due to less water production at the Wazirabad WTP and the diversion of water from other plants, there will be an impact on neighbourhoods across Delhi, including Majnu Ka Tila, ISBT, GPO, the NDMC area, Defence Colony, South Extension, Greater Kailash, Punjabi Bagh, Shalimar Bagh, and parts of South Delhi, among others.

Areas served by treatment plants in Haiderpur, Bawana, and Dwarka are also affected, covering regions like Pitampura, Rohini, Paschim Vihar, and Dwarka.

The DJB has urged residents to use water judiciously, and water tankers are being made available on demand, and residents can contact the Central Control Room for assistance, it said. The DJB also has expressed regret for the inconvenience and assured the public of continued efforts to stabilise water production.

Ammonia contamination is an ongoing issue in Yamuna, frequently affecting Delhi's water supply.