Noida: Residents of high rises in Noida are in a fix over the banning of diesel generator from October 15 to mitigate the air pollution in the NCR region. They complained that the implementation of a graded response action plan (GRAP), under which it banned the operation of diesel generator (DG) sets, is an impractical approach towards improving air quality.
They pointed out that the Supreme Court-appointed Environmental Pollution Control Committee is doing unjust by imposing it on them without taking due consideration. As per them, it would be very difficult to comply with the ban with present disruptive electricity supply systems.
They argued that there is hardly any society where a separate electricity supply line for the operation of passengers exists. All lifts are connected with the common supply line. They said that to comply with the action plan, which will come into effect from October 15, each society needs to lay dedicated supply lines.
They claimed that in gated society, the lifts can not be the only essential services as there are many. Parking lots of maximum society are in the basement, where residents have to go at least twice a day. If they comply with the action, these lots have to be kept dark especially during the power outage.
The committee has also given less time to arrange an alternate option for housing society. Vikas Verma, a resident of a high rise in Sector-45 said, "We are willing to switch to green fuel from the conventional one, but there are technical and financial issues involved in the conversion of diesel generator sets to compress natural gas. If we want to convert heavy-duty DG set to natural gas immediately, the kit would not be available with the manufacturing companies.”
"I fail to understand how only lift services are being considered essential services as there are several others such as lightning of common areas and home, water supply, treatment of sewerage water etc. For providing these services without any disruption, there has to have a regular electricity supply to all these facilities. But with currently available electricity supply systems which is unreliable and the society has to run DG sets for these services."
