Diesel generator sets banned from October 15 to counter 'poor' air quality in Delhi

The Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority held a meeting on October 8 with the Central Pollution Control Board to ascertain how a ban on diesel generators will be implemented in these cities under its Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) from October 15.

Amid deteriorating air quality which is in poor category in the capital, EPCA Chairperson Bhure Lal wrote to the government of Delhi to provide a guidance list of exclusions and emergency services that were put in place last year for the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to adopt this year. EPCA has extended the ban on generators to the towns of Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad and Gurugram.

Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority for National Capital Region writes to Delhi Govt, directing measures under very poor/ severe category of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) from October 15.

Use of diesel generators will be banned. pic.twitter.com/7IZuSWCFSX

— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2020

GRAP, which was first mooted in 2017, defines specific measures to tackle different levels of air pollution through the year. It mandates that as the air quality deteriorates to ‘very poor’, diesel generators across Delhi will be banned.