Without 33kv power supply, new sector residents dread DG ban as pollution rises

With the existing wind pattern and stubble burning steadily worsening the air quality in Delhi and districts falling in the National Capital Region (NCR), members

With the existing wind pattern and stubble burning steadily worsening the air quality in Delhi and districts falling in the National Capital Region (NCR), members of housing societies in the new sectors along the Dwarka Expressway have expressed their concern over the blanket ban on use of diesel generators (DGs) by the Environment Pollution (Prevention And Control) Authority (EPCA), effective October 15 when pollution mitigating measures come into effect.

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Members of the Dwarka Expressway Welfare Association (Dxpa), on Sunday, said the ban would be devastating for residents as 90% societies do not get adequate power supply from Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN). They said they were thus forced to rely fully or partially on diesel generators. Other than the new sectors, DG sets are hugely concentrated in DLF areas, Sushant Lok, 50 malls of Sohna Road and MG Road, Udyog Vihar industrial areas.

Dxpa represents newly developed sectors 58-115 in which nearly 100 residential societies are occupied, fully or partially. Of these, 90% societies only have 11kv electricity connections, also called temporary connections, and the remaining don’t even have that.

According to the conditions of granting licence to develop residential group housing societies, the developers were bound to provide permanent electricity connections of 33kv line before offering possessions to homebuyers, but this did not happen. Residents have now said that since it is an administrative lapse, the EPCA should penalize the DHBVN or the Haryana government.

Residents said the DG ban would adversely impact the same people, who have paid developers for development of 33kv linking station, but are yet to get the benefits.

Last week, the DHBVN had sent notices to 22 developers that the electricity supply to their respective group housing societies, located in sectors 58 to 80, will be disconnected after October 15 for not following last year’s direction of the Haryana government with regard to construction of 33kv switching stations. As per policy, builders have to construct 33kv switching stations close to their societies, individually or collectively, at their own cost. Switching stations are mandatory to connect residential societies with the 33kv substations to ensure permanent electricity supply.

DHBVN chief engineer Sanjiv Chopra said, “We will assess DGs operating in the city on Monday and accordingly we will initiate action against developers.”

“We will follow the direction of the EPCA and we have already held meeting with the district administration in this regard,” said Kuldip Singh, regional officer, HSPCB which is responsible for regularly testing DG sets and submit a monthly report on emissions to the Central Pollution Control Board and the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change.

In June 2018, quoting an HSPCB official, HT had reported that at least 50,000 litres of diesel is burnt every hour in Gurugram to ensure power backup for residential and commercial areas.