Joint study group and surveillance squad constituted to check Ammoniacal Nitrogen in River Yamuna

Joint study group and surveillance squad constituted to check Ammoniacal Nitrogen in River Yamuna

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment; Pollution

In news 

• Recently, a meeting was convened between the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the officials of Delhi Pollution Control Committee(DPCC), Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Irrigation & Water Resources Department, Haryana and Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Delhi. 
• Objective: To discuss the recurring issue of increase in Ammoniacal Nitrogen in River Yamuna and short and long term remedial actions required. 

Key takeaways 

• The long deliberations on the issue identified and agreed that possible reasons could be: (1) Discharge of untreated sewage from upstream towns in Haryana; (2) Discharge from industrial units, Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) and Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs); (3) Illegal discharge of sewage from unsewered colonies in outer Delhi through tankers; (4) Lean flow in the River Yamuna and anaerobic decomposition of accumulated sludge on river bed.​
• A study group comprising Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Irrigation and Water Resources Department, Haryana, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Delhi has been constituted. 
• The group will review: (1) Uniform monitoring protocol and requirement of strengthening monitoring mechanism; (2) Analyse past data and carry out field survey to identify critical hotspots as well as period of high ammonia levels. 
• It has also been asked to suggest short and long term measures for sustained solutions, and submit its report within a month. 

Important value additions 

Ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) is a measure for the amount of ammonia, a toxic pollutant often found in landfill leachate and in waste products, such as sewage, liquid manure and other liquid organic waste products.