New drinking water treatment plant to come up in Delhi

NEW DELHI: On May 29, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) approved the construction of a drinking water treatment plant in Chandrawal district. The estimated cost of the construction is around Rs 598 crore and the plant would be operational in three years. The plant will have a water treatment capacity of 48 crore liters per day and would enhance the total drinking water production of the capital by 11 per cent. The new plant will cater to about 22 lakh people living in Old Delhi, Civil Lines, Karol Bagh, Rajender Nagar, Naraina, parts of Delhi Cantonment area and NDMC areas among others, according to the DJB.

“The current plant can treat only up to 0.8 PPM of ammonia, but the new plant can treat up to five times more the level of ammonia in the raw water by ozonation,” a Delhi Jal Board official said. Along with ozonation, activated carbon would also be employed in the plant’s operation.

Along with the installation of the new water treatment plant, the DJB is also planning to set up a water museum in the capital, to spread awareness about the historical relation of Delhi with Yamuna river.” It will also have a dedicated training center for school children, professionals, RWAs, NGOs and public at large on water conservation, rainwater harvesting, de-centeralised waste water treatment, waterbody conservation and lake rejuvenation and groundwater recharge,” a DJB spokesperson said.