33 DPCC teams to enforce ban on diesel gensets in Delhi

A day after the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) banned the use of diesel generator (DG) sets across Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) said 33 teams will soon be making the rounds of Delhi to identify violators and penalise them.

Only emergency and essential services have been exempted from the ban and these included health-care facilities (for escalators and elevators), railway stations, airports, interstate bus terminals, the Delhi Metro, sewage treatment plants and national security related activities. Those found using generator sets without permission will be prosecuted under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, a violation of which could warrant a fine of ₹5,000 or a jail term of up to 18 months.

DG sets have been banned across the Capital as well as NCR towns, following directions issued by the subcommittee on the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap), which on Thursday enforced measures falling under the ”very poor” category of Grap.

On Friday, Delhi recorded an air quality index of 283 (poor), according to the CPCB.

KS Jayachandran, member secretary, DPCC, said so far, they have not received any request for exemptions from any individual, private company or housing society. “The use of DG sets will have to be shown as ‘essential’ if an exemption is to be granted,” said Jayachandran, adding that 33 teams have been deployed to work on two fronts – construction and demolition waste and to monitor industries which were not using PNG fuel.

“Soon, the same teams will monitor the use of DG sets as well. The environment compensation charge imposed on a violator will depend on various factors such as its size, how long it had been violating the norms and what fuel type it uses – kerosene, diesel or petrol,” he said.

Professor Mukesh Sharma from IIT Kanpur, who is part of the team that recently signed an agreement with the government to carry out real-time apportionment of pollution sources, said DG sets could contribute up to 2% of the overall emission load.

A Delhi power department official said the city will receive uninterrupted electricity supply during winter, reducing the need for DG sets. “...each year DG sets are banned and Delhi faces no problems. This year will be no different,” the official said.

Officials from Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam told HT that they were ready to give uninterrupted power to all Gurugram residents.

Utsav Sharma, regional officer of the Uttar Pradesh PCB, said he had just received the CPCB order: “We will go through the order and ensure it is enforced.”