On Monday, the water provide in components of New Delhi was impacted, following higher levels of pollution in the river Ganga river brought on by flash floods in the state of Uttarakhand. After the disaster struck Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on 7 February 2021, a huge quantity of debris and silt was washed down in the river and on Sunday it entered the Upper Ganga Canal which brings water to the national capital. Due to this, the water’s turbidity elevated up to 8,000 NTU against the regular seasonal worth of one hundred NTU, according to an IE report. Turbidity is an indicator of suspended particles in the water. Officials of Delhi Jal Board (DJB) stated the level of pollution decreased by Monday and Tuesday onwards, regulated water provide would be restored across the city.
According to the report, this current disruption in water provide has once again highlighted the increasing water demand of the national capital and the struggle faced by authorities in meeting the demand. The river Ganga is a essential surface water resource for the national capital and supplies about 240 million gallons per day (MGD) of raw water from the Upper Ganga Canal, which starts from Muradnagar in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It contributes practically a quarter to Delhi’s provide of potable water.
In the early hours of Sunday, when turbidity levels rose, two remedy plants that provide water to south Delhi and east Delhi (at Sonia Vihar and Bhagirathi), had to lower the capacity of their production by up to 20 per cent as their key supply is the river Ganga. The DJB can treat practically 1,000 NTU of water turbidity and from time to time even larger through monsoon seasons by adding coagulants in the water. However, officials stated that when the pollution level elevated up to 8,000 NTU, they had to wait for the good quality of water to enhance on its personal. The Board’s water provide capacity to the city is about 925 MGD in total, which falls quick of the typical demand of about 1,200 MGD.
To raise raw water availability, at least 3 projects are in the pipeline with the Jal Board. One of the projects is reusing treated wastewater from the upcoming Coronation Pillar sewage remedy plant. This STP is most likely to be constructed by the month of June this year. The strategy requires wastewater remedy with sophisticated technologies in order to purify it above the discharge norms for STPs as effectively as release it into the river Yamuna close to Delhi’s northern border at Palla. From there, water would travel down the river for various kilometres, which would additional purify it by way of organic processes, prior to becoming picked up at Wazirabad to be sent to remedy plants, adding practically 70 MGD to the capacity of water production.
The report additional stated, an additional strategy requires taking practically 140 MGD water from UP in exchange for treated wastewater of equal quantity from the national capital, which authorities in the neighbouring state can place to numerous use. The third strategy, which is most likely to augment the capacity of water by 130 MGD, has currently been authorized in the type of an MoU signed with the state government of Himachal Pradesh in December 2019, on the other hand, this water is but to be received by Delhi as additional discussions are underway at the Upper Yamuna River Board.
Additionally, the Board is undertaking projects for recharging the city’s groundwater, such as water bodies’ revival as effectively as storing floodwater from the Yamuna in shallow reservoirs along the river. These projects are also anticipated to augment the Board’s capacity of water provide, the report added.