Source: IE
Context: The Yamuna River in Delhi is facing high ammonia levels, leading to a political row between the Delhi government and the Haryana government.
About Ammonia Contamination in Yamuna River:
- What is the Issue?
-
- The Yamuna River, has been experiencing alarmingly high ammonia levels, particularly during the winter months.
- The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has reported that ammonia levels often exceed the permissible limit of 1 part per million (ppm).
- Sources of Ammonia:
-
- Industrial Discharge: Factories in Panipat and Sonipat districts of Haryana release untreated effluents containing ammonia into the Yamuna.
- Agricultural Runoff: Ammonia-based fertilizers used in farming contribute to the contamination.
- Sewage: Untreated sewage from urban areas also adds to the ammonia levels in the river.
- Natural Sources: Decomposition of organic matter, such as algae, releases ammonia naturally.
- Impacts of Ammonia Contamination:
-
- Health Risks: High ammonia levels can cause internal organ damage due to its corrosive properties.
- Water Supply Disruptions: Water treatment plants cannot process water with ammonia levels above 1 ppm, leading to water shortages in Delhi.
- Environmental Damage: Ammonia reduces dissolved oxygen levels in the river, harming aquatic life and degrading the river ecosystem.
About Yamuna River:
- Origin: The Yamuna originates from the Yamunotri Glacierin the Himalayas, at an elevation of 4,421 meters.
- Yamuna, once, a tributary of the River Ghaggar (most likely the Saraswati River referred to in the Veda) changed its course eastwards due to tectonic events.
- States it flows through: The river basin extends through the states of Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan
- Length: 1,376 kilometres (It is the longest river in India which does not directly flow to the sea)
- Total catchment area: 36,220 kilometres.
- Tributaries:
- It has four main tributaries in the Himalayan region: Rishi Ganga, Hanuman Ganga, Tons and Giri.
- In the plains, the main tributaries are Hindon, Chambal, Sind, Betwa and Ken.
- Tons, being the major tributary contributes to about 60 percent flow of the Yamuna.
- Confluence with Ganga: The Yamuna joins the Ganges Riverat Prayagraj.
- Cities: Noida, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Kalpi, Hamirpur and
Prayagraj (Allahabad).- Yamuna enters the National Capital Territory of Delhi at Palla Village and exits at Jaitpur totalling 52 kilometres.
Insta links:
