EPCA directs ban of diesel generators in Delhi-NCR

New Delhi: The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority has now directed the governments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to impose a ban on all diesel generators except for those used in essential or emergency services in all of the National Capital Region (NCR). The Supreme Court-mandated pollution control authority on Thursday added that the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to tackle rising pollution levels in the city will come into force from October 15.

As for the ban on diesel generators, the EPCA has called for stopping its use in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad and Gurugram.

Large construction projects, including highways and Metro, will provide an undertaking to the state pollution control boards/pollution control committees that they will assure adherence to the prescribed norms for dust management, EPCA chief Bhure Lal said in a letter to the states.

In what could prove acutely hazardous for COVID-19 patients, the air quality index (AQI) in the Capital is expected to deteriorate further by Sunday after it remained in the "poor" category for all of Thursday. Particulate matter of diameter of 2.5 micrometers that is too small to be filtered out of the body remains the main pollutant.

The pollution watchdog also said barring some economic activities, such as stopping construction work and plying of trucks, as emergency measures to control pollution will put pressure on an already stressed economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We should try and avert the need to take other emergency measures for pollution control the economy is already under stress post-lockdown. Therefore, our combined effort is to ensure that there is no further disruption," the EPCA said in the letter.

It also stressed that the prevalence of co-morbid health conditions is a huge challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic and there is enough evidence that pollution can make it more dangerous.

The System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) said, "The boundary layer wind direction and speed are favourable for the transport of pollutants towards Delhi at present but a shift in the wind direction is forecasted which is likely to extend the moderate air quality condition for a few more days," the air quality forecasting system stated.

According to the data of the Central Pollution Control Board, out of 35 pollution monitoring stations here, the air quality index in as many as 17 stations is in the poor category — while 15 stations recorded the index in the moderate category, four were non-functional. The area near the Delhi Technical University recorded the highest AQI at 290.

The measures under GRAP, which were first implemented in Delhi-NCR in 2017, include increasing bus and metro services, hiking parking fees and stopping the use of diesel generator sets when the air quality turns "poor".