Delhi govt blames Haryana for pollution spike in Yamuna, disruption in water treatment

New Delhi, Dec 23 Facing criticism for failure to clean the Yamuna, the AAP-led Delhi government on Monday blamed the BJP-led government in Haryana for failure to check industrial pollutants falling into the river resulting in disruption of raw water treatment in Delhi due to high content of ammonia.

Delhi Water Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj criticised the spike in the release of industrial waste into river Yamuna from Haryana, saying, "Two water treatment plants in Delhi have been impacted, causing 70-80 MGD water shortfall in the city."

He asked the BJP why its government in Haryana had failed to install water treatment plants to stop pollutants from Sonipat and Panipat falling into the Yamuna river.

Bhardwaj, in charge of Delhi Jal Board, said Delhi's Haiderpur and Wazirabad water treatment had been hit due to high ammonia content in raw water, impacting the supply of drinking water in parts of central and western Delhi.

"Ammonia content in Yamuna water has risen to 3.5-4 parts per million (ppm), forcing the closure of treatment plants due to bad quality of raw water," he said, alleging that in the past two days drain number 1 and drain number 8 carrying industrial waste from Haryana's Panipat and Sonipat cities have recorded higher content of toxic effluents.

Earlier, Bhardwaj said the great response to the registration of the AAP government's women financial assistance scheme in the city would bring a tsunami of electoral wins for the ruling party in the upcoming Assembly election.

The pro-AAP mood among voters over the past two days is going to make the upcoming election much more difficult for the BJP as compared to the last two in 2015 and 2020, he added.

However, the BJP slammed the door-to-door registration drive of the AAP for two welfare schemes -- Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana -- accusing the party of engaging in "election gimmicks" ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections.

BJP leader and NDMC Vice Chairman Kuljeet Chahal accused former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of making hollow promises.

"Kejriwal promised 500 new schools, 20 colleges, employment for youth, free water, and electricity. None of these promises have been fulfilled. Why is he making these announcements now after being in power for a decade? Will the money suddenly appear in people's bank accounts?" Chahal asked, calling the welfare schemes a mere "election gimmick".

--IANS

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