To curb water wastage, govt to install flow metres on all UGRs
New Delhi: The Delhi government has decided to set up an ammonia removal plant to treat polluted Yamuna water coming from Haryana. The decision was taken on Friday at a high-level meeting chaired by CM Arvind Kejriwal, who gave instructions to set up the plant within six months. In the same meeting, Kejriwal announced the installation of flow metres on all underground reservoirs (UGRs) across the state.
Water Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, Chief Secretary, DJB CEO and senior officers of the concerned department were also present in the meeting.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister highlighted the need to provide clean drinking water to all Delhiites, increase water production, and curb wastage of water. One of the main concerns raised by the Chief Minister was the high level of ammonia in the water that is sourced from Haryana and flows through the Yamuna river into Delhi.
The CM expressed his worry about the excessive presence of ammonia in the water, which has made it extremely challenging for Delhi’s water treatment plants to clean the water effectively. As a result, the production of water has been adversely affected. This issue of ammonia in the water was raised in a previous meeting as well, where the Chief Minister had directed the Delhi Jal Board to find a viable solution to the problem. During the latest meeting, the Chief Minister discussed potential solutions with the DJB officials and stressed the importance of resolving the issue urgently.
Delhi Jal Board officials apprised the Chief Minister that the department has completed the technical feasibility work of the project. Under this, work will be done in two ways. Firstly, efforts are being made to reduce the ammonia present in Yamuna water as much as possible by treating it in the water treatment plant. The second is that technology will also be used by the Delhi Jal Board for in-situ treatment of ammonia. A technical report is being prepared for this.
In context to installation of flow metres, the CM explained that not a single drop of water should be wasted & flow metres would be installed on both primary and secondary UGRs. The government aims to closely monitor the water usage and detect leaks or other issues that may lead to wastage.
Furthermore, wherever the groundwater level is higher, the government will install industrial Reverse Osmosis systems to provide clean and pure water to people’s homes.
The CM has instructed officials to initiate a tender for industrial RO plants within a month. To tackle the challenges related to land acquisition for installing tubewells, the CM has summoned a meeting on March 31. As per a government statement, the Delhi government is determined to overcome all hurdles and ensure that Delhi residents have access to clean and pure water. The government’s efforts to install flow metres on all UGRs and set up RO plants will undoubtedly help in creating a sustainable water supply system in the city.
