Delhi Water Crisis Deepens As Ammonia Levels Spike, Supply Cut Across THESE Areas

Delhi is facing an increasingly severe water crisis as ammonia levels in the Yamuna River have reached dangerous levels, further worsening disruptions in northern and central area water supplies. The city has left many residents reeling from severe shortages, contamination, and low pressure, intensifying the battle that has been ongoing here.

The situation regarding Delhi’s water supply deteriorated on Monday as five of the nine major water treatment plants in the city operated with limited capacity. The crisis, primarily caused by an alarming spike in ammonia levels in the Yamuna, has drawn the attention of both authorities and residents.

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has said that ammonia levels at the Wazirabad Barrage on Monday were recorded at 5 parts per million, which is more than five times the treatable limit of 0.9 ppm.

The DJB issued a statement that said the regular inflows of high pollutants into Yamuna had caused hindrance in water production at a few plants. “Due to regular receipt of high pollutants (ammonia more than 5ppm) in Yamuna at Wazirabad pond, maximum possible diversion from CLC canal (Munak canal) towards Wazirabad, and regular fluctuation in Delhi sub-branch (DSB), water production has been affected,” it said.

On Sunday, the water supply to the Wazirabad water treatment plant was halved, and the Chandrawal plant’s supply was reduced by 10%. On Monday, water supply to the Haiderpur, Bawana, and Dwarka plants was also cut by 5-10%. The current water shortfall across the city is estimated to be around 90 million gallons per day (MGD), out of the total 1,000 MGD capacity of Delhi’s nine water treatment plants.

Struggle Of Residents

The residents of several areas in central, northern, and south-western Delhi are suffering at the hands of the crisis. Most of them face low water pressure, restricted supply, and in some cases, contaminated water. Local RWAs have been raising concerns over the situation. Ashok Bhasin, president of North Delhi Residents Welfare Association, said that many areas were facing no water supply since Sunday evening.

“Maximum complaints were received from areas like Walled City, where the pipelines are very old. During low pressure conditions, it leads to a lot of contamination,” Bhasin said, stressing the need for a permanent solution to the ammonia issue.

Dheeraj Dubey, head of the Walled City Residential Welfare Federation, criticized the lack of infrastructure in Old Delhi, pointing out that low-pressure supply failed to reach higher floors of buildings. “It is a result of long-term neglect in this area. Pipes have not been repaired, and boosting stations have not been added,” Dubey remarked. Yogesh Jain, general secretary of the Daryaganj Federation of RWAs, shared that residents in his area have resorted to sharing water from homes with borewells.

Political Tensions Escalate Over Water Crisis

The ongoing water crisis has sparked a political blame game between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On Monday, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP-led Haryana government of contributing to the crisis by allowing the unchecked dumping of toxic industrial waste into the Yamuna. He claimed that the BJP’s negligence had directly impacted Delhi’s water treatment capacity.

“Due to the waste being discharged from BJP-ruled Haryana government’s inaction against curbing this, it has really adversely affected the water treatment capability of Delhi. Their moves are politically motivated because they are trying to inconvenience people of Delhi to win in the coming elections,” said Bharadwaj.

He further claimed that ammonia levels in the Yamuna were being driven up due to industrial waste from Sonepat and Panipat, a problem going on for ten years without treatment of waste into the river.

BJP MP Yogender Chandolia challenged Bharadwaj, claiming that the ammonia in the Yamuna was not a result of Haryana’s actions. According to Chandolia, “Saurabh Bhardwaj blaming Haryana for increasing ammonia levels is false and misleading. The Yamuna enters Delhi from Haryana at Palla and reaches Wazirabad, where it is clean and complies with statutory regulations.”

He further states that the major source of pollution in Delhi’s water supply is the untreated waste released through more than 30 drains which pour their contents into the Yamuna within the city.

Steps Towards Redressal

Despite the political rhetoric, the Delhi Jal Board is trying to overcome the crisis by diverting raw water from the CLC and DSB canals to Wazirabad, hoping to dilute the ammonia levels and reduce the disruption. Still, the situation remains grave with constant reviews and attempts to stabilize the water supply.

As the crisis unfolds, a long-term solution to water pollution in Delhi seems to emerge as an inevitable need. For now, residents suffer with the pollution and inadequacy of infrastructure issues, while the political leadership continues to finger-point one another, without offering immediate resolution to the issue on hand.

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