Water Pollution

High ammonia levels in Yamuna to hit water supply in parts of Delhi

Water supply in parts of Delhi will be hit with high ammonia levels in the Yamuna leading to a 50 per cent decrease in production at Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants, the DJB said on Tuesday. The WTPs at Chandrawal and Wazirabad can treat up to 90 MGD and 135 MGD of water, respectively. The ammonia level at the Wazirabad pond is 5 parts per million at present. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water is 0.5 ppm. At present, the Delhi Jal Board has the capacity to treat 0.9 ppm. "Due to high levels of pollutants (ammonia more than 5 ppm) being received in the Yamuna at Wazirabad pond, water production has been curtailed by 10 per cent to 50 per cent from WTPs of Wazirabad and Chandrawal. "Therefore, water supply will be available at low pressure from Tuesday evening till the situation improves," the DJB said in a statement. The areas which will be affected are: Civil lines, Hindu Rao Hospital and adjoinin

Brackish groundwater in most parts of Delhi: Central Ground Water Board

The groundwater in most parts of Delhi is brackish in nature and the nitrate concentration is high in the northeastern parts of the capital, the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has said in a report. "Chemical analysis of ground water samples collected in May 2021 showed that nitrate content in groundwater is within the permissible limit of 45 micrograms per litre in most of the state. However, concentration in the north-eastern parts of Delhi is high," the CGWB's groundwater year book 2021-22 said. Except a few locations in the northern and western parts of the city, all areas have a fluoride concentration within the permissible limit of 1.5 micrograms per litre, it said. The eastern parts of Delhi, especially the areas around the Yamuna floodplains and the Delhi Quartzite Ridge zones, have an electrical conductivity (EC) within the permissible range of 0 to 2,250 microsiemens per centimetre, the CGWB said. "The rest of the capital, barring some pockets of southwest, northwest an

Food and Drug Administration dept seals mineral water factory at Kapurthala

The Food and Drug Administration Department on Monday sealed a factory here which was engaged in the business of packaged drinking water without having mandatory BIS certification, officials said. The factory did not have the mandatory BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certificate & the FSSAI licence, they said. The team was headed by Harjot Pal Singh, Assistant Commissioner along with Mukul Gill, Food safety officer, raided the factory and recovered 265 cartons of packaged drinking water containing 24 cups of 200 ml each, several empty cases, two machines installed for packaging water along with other material to be used in packing and sealing. The premises were sealed after the team took one sample of packaged drinking water.

Beyond Joshimath: How not to make the future a repeat of the past

Can we have stronger regulatory and associated institutions to ensure environmental protection? If not, the shock effect of Joshimath won't last much more than a week, cautions T N Ninan

Ammonia pollution in Yamuna affecting water supply in parts of Delhi: DJB

Water supply in parts of Delhi has been affected due to ammonia pollution in the Yamuna river, the Delhi Jal Board said on Tuesday. Operations at Wazirabad, Chandrawal, Bawana, Nangloi, Dwarka and Haiderpur water treatment plants (WTPs) have been hit. Water supply will remain affected till the situation improves, it said. Water will be available at low pressure in parts of south Delhi, central Delhi, west Delhi, northwest Delhi and southwest Delhi, the DJB said. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, the acceptable maximum limit of ammonia in drinking water is 0.5 ppm. At present, the DJB can treat up to 0.9 ppm.

Protesters refuse to stop demonstration in front of ethanol plant in Punjab

The protesters, who have been sitting on a dharna in front of the distillery and ethanol plant in Mansurwal village of this district for nearly five months, refused to lift the dharna on Saturday despite minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal reaching out to them. The Punjab minister for Rural Development and Panchayat assured the protesters on all the decisions which were agreed upon between their delegation and the government. Villagers with the support of some farmer unions have been holding the protest in front of the plant in Mansurwal village, seeking its closure while claiming that it was polluting underground water in several villages in the area, besides causing air pollution. The protest is being held under the banner of the Sanjha Zira Morcha since July 24. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Friday evening held a meeting with a delegation of agitators in Chandigarh to address their issues. While interacting with the protesters on Saturday, Dhaliwal assured them of protecting

Experts to prepare plan for restoring polluted water bodies in Meghalaya

A 10-member expert committee headed by Meghalaya Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) B K Lyngwa will soon come up with an action plan for restoration of polluted water bodies in the northeastern state. The committee constituted in June in compliance with a High Court order to advise the state government on measures for restoration and protection of water bodies in the state, will advise the state government on latest technology and methods to be used for cleaning and rejuvenation of water bodies. After chairing the second meeting of the committee, Lyngwa said on Thursday, "We are in the process of formulating the action plan. The question of funding will come later on." The action plan will be site specific to every river and will cover the whole state except those water bodies in the wildlife protected areas, reserved forests and water-bodies dealt with by the State Wetland Authority and River Rejuvenation Committee and the fish ponds, he said. The major rivers of Meghal

Delhi pollution panel bans POP-based idols' immersion in water bodies

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) prohibited immersion of POP-based idols in water bodies for Ganesh Utsav, Durga Puja, and other upcoming festivals

Delhi plans to spend $600 mn to clean its polluted air, says official

India's mega urban centers, including capital New Delhi and financial hub Mumbai, are allocating funds to clean their water and air as population surges

Delhi proposes to construct drain to treat polluted water; Shah forms panel

The Delhi government proposed to construct a new drain similar to the Najafgarh drain for the treatment of polluted water from neighboring states

No river pollution will be allowed in proposed textile parks: Punjab CM

CM Bhagwant Mann said the Central government has approved the scheme for setting up seven PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Parks (PM MITRA) in partnership with state governments.

Pollution of all types kills 9 million people a year globally, finds study

Pollution of all types is responsible for 9 million deaths a year globally, says a new study. The death toll is attributed to dirty air from cars, trucks, and industry rising 55 per cent since 2000.

Delhi govt makes last ditch attempt to save 'extinct' water bodies

The Delhi government is making one last effort to salvage the water bodies which have gone extinct over the years due to large-scale encroachment and negligence.

Yamuna will get back its fish by Dec 2023: Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain

Delhi Water Minister Satyendar Jain Tuesday said the Yamuna river in the national capital will be completely cleaned and made fit for bathing and propagation of fish by December 2023.

Season of despair

It's not rocket science to understand whether the pollution is generated locally, or it comes from neighbouring states, or is a combination of both

International experts to help the UN in reducing marine debris by 50-90%

The online conference will highlight more than 30 activities in place or in development around the world that can make important contributions by 2030 to a clean ocean

Water governance reform

The fifth and last in a series of weekly articles on the new National Water Policy

'People at the top' protecting industries polluting Sabarmati: Gujarat HC

'We will catch hold of everyone responsible for this by their ears,' says court.

Yamuna pollution: 12 CETPs fined Rs 12 cr for not meeting standards

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has imposed a fine of over Rs 12 crore on 12 common effluent treatment plants for not meeting prescribed wastewater discharge standards repetitively

Delhi bans soaps, detergents not conforming to latest BIS parameters

The Delhi government on Monday banned the sale, storage, transportation, and marketing of soaps and detergents not conforming to the latest BIS parameters to curb pollution in the Yamuna river