Gurugram residents against ban on diesel power generators

Sumedha Sharma

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Gurugram, June 30

With the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) banning diesel generator sets in the NCR from October 1, residents of condominiums are up against it. Seeking uninterrupted power supply before imposition of the ban, various RWA federations have approached the commission seeking binding orders for their respective power providers to ensure round-the-clock power supply.

Long power cuts

Power cuts average three to four hours. During snags, people remain without power for even two days at a stretch. Praveen Malik, president, united assn of new gurugram

Power backup devices are widely used across Delhi-NCR owing to erractic supply. The situation is worse for Gurugram dwellers. The societies, especially in New Gurugram area, claim to have been facing averagely four hours of daily power cut, which extends even up to 18 hours in case of snags.

“You cannot live without power backup here. On an average, one or the other society has a power cut of around three to four hours. When we face snags, which is very common in summers and monsoons, we are without power even for two days at a stretch. We have already paid our builders for backup and no resident can go ahead bearing the cost of retrofitting and builders won’t do it. So either the commission itself ensures retrofitting or get us regular power supply,” said Praveen Malik, president of the United Association of New Gurugram.

Ensure regular supply

Rather than forcing people to buy costlier substitutes, won’t it be more feasible to ensure uninterrupted power supply? Prakhar Sahay, gurugram resident

“If there is uninterrupted electricity supply, there would be no need to rely on diesel power generators. Rather than forcing people to buy costlier substitutes in the name of environment, won’t it be more feasible to ensure uninterrupted power supply? Can you even imagine havoc it will cause in case of services like lifts if the builders remove their backup?” asked Prakhar Sahay, another resident along Dwarka Expressway.

“Apart from air pollution, diesel emissions are carcinogenic. Now, efforts should be made to enforce compliance of CAQM’s rules,” Prakhar added.

The industrial associations too have risen against the ban saying many areas in the city still lack PNG supply and majority of the small units have no capital for retrofitting.

“There is no subsidy. Industrial units are plagued by massive power cuts. Diesel power generators are our sole option. Not everybody can go for retrofitting. The authorities should work on improving power infrastructure,” said a represntattive of the Gurugram Industrial Association.

Notably, various stakeholders have shot off a letter to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, which has promised to look into the issue.