Municipal Corporation Of Faridabad — polluting diesel generator sets in public park

For quite some time, my family as also those of our neighbours have been suffering due to air and sound pollution caused by an old diesel generator set operated by the municipal corporation of faridabad (Mcf) in the sai park, sector 31 faridabad.

2. The said park with a number of green trees is obviously planned to provide clean and fresh air to its neighbourhood. I was shocked to see that recently a decades old diesel generator (Dg) set has been installed right inside the park, and it operates for hours in the mornings as also the evenings to draw water from a bore-well. You will appreciate that installation of a polluting dg set in a park defeats the very purpose the park is meant to serve. Doing yogasans and pranayam in such an environment will cause more harm than good.

3. Another set is owned by one of residents who chose a corner of public (Read mcf) land just at the north-west corner of sai park to install it for his personal use. He was required to install it in the basement or rooftop of his own house, as the cpcb guidelines mandate. I have serious doubt whether he has approval of the mcf for installation of the said dg set on public land! Kindly get it checked and impose an exemplary fine on the party if the dg set is installed without approval of the mcf.

4. Besides being seriously detrimental to the ambient air quality, operation of the dg sets causes deleterious effects on human health and psychological well being of our community as a whole specially the children and senior citizens. Both the sets use diesel as fuel and emit hot poisonous gases adding considerably to the already aggravated level of particulate matter in the air. The hot and poisonous gases emitted by the sets are serious hazard to the life and health of trees right over exhaust/ outlet. The poisonous gases emitted by the said sets find their way into the lungs of the people living in the neighbourhood. The senior citizens and the kids are the most vulnerable as the hot and poisonous gases cause a host of pulmonary diseases. Diesel generators are known to emit large quantities of sulphur oxides and particulate matter, which lead to the formation of secondary aerosols, particularly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (Pah) — a carcinogen formed as a direct consequence of diesel combustion. Outbreak of covid-19 has already played havoc with the health and psychological well being of citizens around the world. We have a very limited role in containing the outbreak of covid-19, but certainly we can do a lot in keeping our environment clean. A cleaner environment will help raise our immunity against the notorious corona virus. Besides this, the sets are a source of noise pollution. When they are in use, the level of sound exceeds 87 db against the upper permissible limits of 55 db during day time (45 db during night time) in residential areas. Moreover, the spot where the said sets are installed falls within 100 metres of the government school and, thus, warrants maintenance of better standards of ambient air quality in the vicinity.

5.in view of above competent authorities in mcf are requested to kindly order removal of the said dg sets with immediate effect and save us from irreparable loss to our health and well being.

Ram deswal
Sector 31 faridabad