Residents sceptical about diesel genset ban in Gurugram

Gurugram Residents said they cannot do without diesel generator (DG) sets, as life without them is not possible in a city such as Gurugram, where power outages are

Gurugram Residents said they cannot do without diesel generator (DG) sets, as life without them is not possible in a city such as Gurugram, where power outages are frequent and often last several hours. Officials of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) have also said that enforcing the ban will be a challenge, given the poor state of power supply and the city’s heavy dependence on diesel for power backup.

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Residents, lauding the ban as a positive action, however, said it could have been more thoughtfully planned. “One cannot fault the EPCA for proposing this ban, but it does not take into account other uses for electricity,” said JS Bhalla, a resident of Valley View Estate in Gwal Pahari.

For instance, he explained, diesel generators not only power apartments but also sewage treatment plants and licensed borewells in areas where there is no piped water. “Exceptions should have been made for some of these other uses, in addition to the emergency services,” he added.

Others remained unfazed at the prospect of the ban. “We don’t think it will make much difference. There are bans on many things, from firecrackers to single-use plastics. We have no reason to think that the one on generators will be enforced any better,” said Sanjay Bawa, a resident of Sushant Lok 1, where power outages are reported daily, and diesel generators are conspicuous.

Like Bawa, most residents were of the opinion that the ban would be logistically impossible to enforce. “How will they do it? If there are 10,000 generators in the city, they will all need to be physically inspected for compliance. It is a virtually impossible task,” said activist Vivek Kamboj.

DG sets are presently used across the city, with certain hotspots in DLF areas, Sushant Lok-1, in over two dozen malls around Sohna Road and MG Road, industries in Udyog Vihar and Manesar, and new group housing complexes located in sectors 84 to 115, where sub-stations for distribution of power have not yet been built.

In the newer areas, particularly, 100% power back up is a major draw for property buyers. “One of the reasons we chose to move from Delhi to Sector 67 is because the developer promised us uninterrupted power. A ban like this does not make sense without first providing infrastructure,” said Sunil Bhuyan, a resident.

Another resident of Sector 67, Kush Kochgaway, who lives in Park View Spa Next, said, “The state of transformers and transmission wires is pathetic. Even when faults happen, we have to take the initiative to get them fixed. Often, we don’t have electricity for as much as 12 hours at a stretch because electricity board officials are unresponsive. How are we expected to live without power? It will throw our life out of gear.”

An HSPCB official said that enforcement of the ban would be a major challenge. “Logistically, it is a huge task. We will have to engage more manpower and be vigilant. We will do our best to comply with the instructions. Regular updates will be sent to the Centre.”

Kamboj, who resides in Sushant Lok-1, said that the city’s deficient power grid would not allow for the ban to be successful, unless major overhauls are carried out. “There is no power deficit anymore. In fact, we are a power surplus state, but citizens cannot reap the benefits due to inefficient distribution,” he said.

Sunil Chopra, chief engineer, DHBVN, did not respond to request for comment.