85% of Delhi-NCR residents reluctant to retrofit DG sets with CNG: Survey

New Delhi: Around 85 per cent of Delhi-NCR residents who have a personal or society generator running on diesel are unwilling to retrofit it with CNG, according to a survey carried out by a digital community-based platform.

The survey by LocalCircles said that despite the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which banned the use of diesel generator sets from October 1 to December 31, 2023, as part of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to combat air pollution in the region, there is significant resistance among residents.

The survey received more than 22,000 responses from Delhi National Capital Region residents located in the cities of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad.

To ease concerns over power disruptions in essential sectors in the NCR, the CAQM in September granted a three-month reprieve for the use of DG sets in nine critical categories of emergency services till December 31.

The survey sought to know "How are you/your society complying with the diesel generator restrictions effective from October 1, as the GRAP guidelines for pollution control are in effect?"

"This survey question response shows that only 15 per cent of Delhi-NCR residents surveyed, who use diesel generators (personal or at society level), are likely to get it retrofitted to CNG by December 31, 2023, while 85 per cent are unwilling to comply with the new regulations," it said.

However, the survey indicates that 56 per cent of residents in Delhi and nearby areas do not intend to adhere to the December 31 deadline, putting them at risk of potential repercussions.

The primary hurdle in compliance appears to be financial, with 100 per cent of respondents citing they "do not have the requisite budget or funds" as the main reason for their unwillingness, the survey said.

Fifteen per cent of respondents expressed the intent to retrofit their generators with CNG by the stipulated deadline.