Bengaluru Urban ranks among India's top 5 districts for diesel generator air pollution, reveals study

A study reveals Bengaluru Urban's high PM2.5 emissions from diesel generators, urging cleaner technologies to combat air pollution.

Published on: Aug 21, 2025, 17:01:57 IST

By Yamini C S, Bengaluru

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Bengaluru Urban has been named one of the top five districts in India with the highest air pollution caused by diesel generator (DG) sets, according to a new study released at the India Clean Air Summit 2025.

A recent study reveals Bengaluru Urban ranks among India's top five districts for air pollution from diesel generators.

The study, titled ‘Switch on, Smoke off: Reducing Emissions from Diesel Generator Sets’, was published by the Bengaluru-based think tank CSTEP (Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy).

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Other districts with high levels of harmful PM2.5 emissions from DG sets include Patna (Bihar), Mumbai (Maharashtra), Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida, Uttar Pradesh) and North 24 Parganas (West Bengal).

What is PM2.5?

PM2.5 refers to fine particles in the air that are smaller than 2.5 micrometres. These pollutants can enter the lungs and bloodstream, causing serious health issues like asthma, heart disease, and other respiratory problems.

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The report found that over 14.7 lakh DG sets were used across India in 2022, contributing to large amounts of PM2.5, black carbon, and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Older and poorly maintained DG sets were found to be the worst polluters, often releasing emissions above legal limits - especially in power-deficient urban areas.

As DG set usage is expected to grow by nearly 9 per cent annually until 2030, the report warned of worsening air pollution unless cleaner technologies are adopted.

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Recommendations include switching to solar-based systems, using gas-powered generators, upgrading to cleaner CPCB IV-compliant models and retrofitting existing DG sets with emission control devices. The study also called for a national policy to scrap old polluting generators and urged financial incentives for cleaner alternatives in cities like Bengaluru.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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