In order to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had in June issued orders prohibiting the use of diesel generators with the capacity of 19kW or above in all districts.
As a one-time exception, CAQM has allowed use of diesel generators of all capacities from October 1 till the end of the calendar year to ensure that essential emergency services are not disrupted.
The latest survey by LocalCircles asked respondents how they are complying with the diesel generator restrictions effective from October 1 as the GRAP guidelines for pollution control are in effect. (Diesel Gensets can only be used for emergency purposes till December 31, 2023, and by then must be retrofitted to CNG). Out of 10,005 respondents, 12% indicated they “have already retrofitted diesel generator to CNG”, 21% said they “plan to get the generator retrofitted to CNG by December 31”. Of the remaining respondents, 46% said they “do not plan to comply and will deal with whatever repercussions” and 21% indicated that they “plan to manage the situation with the local officials”.
When asked for the reasons behind not getting the diesel gensets retrofitted to CNG, 98% of respondents said they don’t have the requisite budget/funds; 73% stated don’t have consensus amongst all residents or stakeholders; 49% hinted that they are not convinced that the conversion would make much difference; and 24% gave other reasons.
Some residents also said such mandates are not feasible for many societies without financial assistance and hence the compliance date should be extended till a financial support mechanism is in place. Without the same, many say it is highly likely that the local pollution department officials will engage in corrupt practices and harass residents or AOAs/RWAs for noncompliance.
The survey received over 20,000 responses from residents of Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram & Faridabad. 69% respondents were men while 31% respondents were women.
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