The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) has prohibited the use of diesel generator sets in Delhi NCR from October 15 stating the increasing air pollution.The order is applicable in Delhi and other NCR towns of Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad and Gurugram.
The Ministry has opted for Graded Response Action Plan. GRAP was formulated by EPAC, in consultation with the State Governments and filed experts. It is a model plan to control plummeting air quality and is implemented as an “emergency measure” by banning diesel generator.
It stipulates actions to be taken at various levels of AQI, staring namely, Moderate & Poor, Very Poor, and Severe as per National Air Quality Index and due to which diesel generator should be banned . A new category of “Severe+ or Emergency”.
The authority has ordered:
- Large construction projects, including highways and metro will provide undertaking to the state pollution control boards/pollution control committees that they will assure adherence to the prescribed norms/guidelines for dust management.
- Industries, particularly in the Red and Orange category, will provide an undertaking to the state pollution control boards/pollution control committees that they will use only authorised fuel and will not operate without adequate pollution control measures.
These measures have been recommended for implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which was approved by the Supreme Court in the year 2016 in MC Mehta v. Union of India, and implemented by the Environment Ministry in January 2017.
