Will Delhi's water supply be affected due to rising ammonia concentrations in Yamuna?

Increased ammonia concentrations, stemming from industrial operations in the neighbouring Haryana, have been noticed in the Yamuna recently, Delhi Jal Board sources told ToI on Wednesday.

The elevated ammonia levels, stemming from industrial operations upstream in Haryana, may disrupt the water distribution in the city. However, the supply wasn't affected on Wednesday, officials said.

What was discovered in Yamuna river?

Sources told ToI that that ammonia levels kept on fluctuating on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, it was approximately 6.5ppm, substantially above DJB's 1ppm treatment capability, and was 6.1ppm until 6pm. It fell to below 3ppm later in the evening.


"The level of ammonia had shot up for some time, but it is now largely on declining trends. There was no issue in terms of water production as we get additional water from Munak Canal to dilute it at Wazirabad," an official told ToI on the condition of anonymity.

Officials noted that ammonia levels typically fluctuated during the winter. According to ToI sources, the ammonia measurements showed 8.4ppm on Feb 25 and 7.5ppm on March 1.

BJP vs AAP over Yamuna river:

The river became a cause of major clash between BJP and AAP during the recent assembly elections. Since last year, the ammonia levels have shown frequent variations, with this Jan experiencing severe conditions that ultimately involved Election Commission of India.

The previous AAP government proposed constructing an ammonia treatment plant at Wazirabad to address this concern, but the construction has not started.

Recent fluctuations have created operational challenges for DJB. Increased ammonia levels significantly reduce water treatment plants' capacities, sometimes forcing complete shutdowns and disrupting the supply.