Badlapur, Ambernath, Ulhasnagar and Kalyan face reduced water supply after river turns murky

A sharp increase in mud and sediment in the Ulhas river has repeatedly clogged pumps at filtration plants, reducing treated-water supply by around 20 per cent to Badlapur, Ambernath, Ulhasnagar and Kalyan.

The river supplies drinking water to the four areas and has become increasingly murky since the beginning of the Ganesh festival, according to officials.

The Badlapur water department has warned that some areas could continue to face reduced water supply for a few more days while the treatment plant operates at lower capacity, reported The Hindustan Times.

Suresh Kadri, an official with the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, said the river water had improved over the previous two days but would still take some time to return to normal.

“We have been witnessing murky water in the river since the Ganesh festival began. The situation has improved over the past two days, but it will still take at least a couple of days for the river water to become completely clear,” Kadri told Hindustan Times.

The increase in sediment has repeatedly affected pumps and reduced the amount of water that can be filtered.

The treatment plant normally processes around 140 million litres per day (MLD), but current output has fallen to between 110 MLD and 120 MLD, according to Kadri.

Officials suspect illegal sand-mining activity along the river may have contributed to the rise in sediment, although this has not been established.

They suspect that high-powered suction pumps used for sand-mining operations may have disturbed the riverbed and released large quantities of soil and sediment into the water.

The suspected increase in dredging activity came during the Ganesh festival, when police personnel were deployed elsewhere for bandobast duties.

The problem has therefore affected both the intake and treatment stages of the water-supply system.

The Badlapur water department said the situation could take a few more days to stabilise even though officials have seen some improvement in the river’s condition.

The Ulhas river is an important drinking-water source for the four urban areas, making the disruption significant for households dependent on the treatment plants.

With the treatment facility operating below its normal capacity, local authorities are having to manage reduced output until the sediment levels fall and pumping operations return to normal.