Goan industrial units have been requesting for an exemption from a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) order wherein all industries and establishments operating DG sets of 125 KVA and above are required to retrofit the DG set engine with an emission control device.
According to Goan industry, emission from generator sets in the state is low and the cost of the Retrofitting Emission Control Device (RECD) is not feasible for companies.
The GCCI made the request for exemption to the CPCB. The letter states that, generators by business establishments in the state are used only in the standby mode. Further the average use of standby generators are less than 250 hours a year and have a very low level of use.
In the communication to the Central Pollution Board, GCCI has said, due to emissions from generators being low the state should be exempted from the CPCB order. The letter explains that, generator sets in the state are turned on only when there is a power outage and not used on a regular basis. Therefore the emission of particulate matter by generators running in Goa is lower than other states.
The letter also mentions that, the state has low population density which means that the overall impact of the generator sets on air quality is low. It says that, the state’s tropical climate and humidity throughout the year results in low concentration of particulate matter in the air compared to other parts of India.
The letter discloses that, air pollution in Goa is caused due to vehicular and industrial pollution, cooking by traditional methods, garbage burning, construction activities, etc. and not due to the use of generators.
The GCCI letter concludes with the remark that, evidence of RECD devices lowering emissions are not conclusive and more research is needed on the same.
It says that, there is “no need to retrofit generators in Goa as the cost and delays of retrofitting would outweigh the benefits.”
It may be noted that the NGT had ordered lowering the emission of particulate matter in the air, after which the CPCB issued a circular directing for installation of RECD on DG generator sets.
The GCCI has requested the CPCB to reconsider the decision to retrofit diesel generators in the capacity range of 125 KVA- 1000 KVA with emission control devices.
