New Delhi – The Railway Board has issued a directive to four Zonal Railways—Northern, North Central, North Western, and West Central—to immediately replace or modify their non-compliant diesel generator (DG) sets. This action is in line with the urgent measures ordered by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to control severe air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.
⚙️ The Mandate for Railway Zones
In a letter dated November 18, the Railway Board instructed the four zones to take the following actions regarding their non-compliant DG sets:
- Replace the non-compliant DG sets with compliant models.
- If replacement is not feasible, Convert the DG sets to dual fuel mode.
- Alternatively, Install a Retrofit Emission Control Device (RECD).
🚨 Compliance Driven by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC)
The instruction from the Railway Board follows a communication sent on October 26 by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to the Chairman of the Railway Board.
The DPCC emphasized that all establishments within Delhi’s jurisdiction, including Railway Stations, Metro Stations, Bus Terminals, Industrial, Commercial, and Residential units, must comply with the CAQM’s orders to curb pollution.
The DPCC letter stated:
“You are also well aware that Delhi faces grave air pollution particularly in the winter season and the level of pollutants goes much beyond the prescribed standards for Ambient Air Quality.”
The committee cited the fact that the entire Union Territory of Delhi has been declared an Air Pollution Control area under the Air Act, 1981, and noted that the CAQM has issued specific directions for the regulated use of DG sets of various capacities (ranging from less than $19 \text{ kV}$ to $800 \text{ kV}$) to mitigate air pollution.