Diesel generators allowed in NCR for essential services till year end, says CAQM

To ease concerns over power disruptions in essential sectors in the National Capital Region, the CAQM on Friday granted a three-month reprieve for the use of diesel generator sets in nine critical categories of emergency services.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) had earlier said the ban on diesel generators, imposed every winter to mitigate air pollution, would also cover essential services.

'Purely in the interest of not disrupting emergency services and permitting more time for adopting emission control mechanisms, the commission, as a one-time exception, has now permitted DG (diesel generator) sets for all capacity ranges, to be run only for emergency services in the NCR (National Capital Region) only up to December 31,' the CAQM said in a statement.

The decision comes as a relief for sectors dependent on uninterrupted power supply as its extends the deadline previously set for a complete ban on diesel generator sets.

The nine categories benefiting from this temporary reprieve include commercial and residential complexes employing elevators, escalators and travelators as well as medical facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes using critical medical equipment. Railway services and stations, along with metro services, airports and interstate bus terminals, have also been granted the exemption.

Sewage treatment plants, water pumping stations, projects of national significance concerning national security, and services related to telecommunications, information technology and data management can also operate diesel generator sets during this period.