The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is installing special pollution control equipment on 25 diesel generator sets operating on a section of the Dwarka Expressway in the Delhi-NCR region, in a move aimed at reducing emissions from infrastructure operations.
The equipment will be installed in Package Four of the expressway, an approximately 8.7-kilometre stretch running from Basai to the cloverleaf junction near Kherki Daula on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway. Diesel generator sets are used on this section for lighting and other related works.
According to NHAI, the generator sets will be fitted with retrofit emission control devices, or RECDs. The process will include installation, inspection, testing and commissioning of the devices, along with arrangements for their maintenance and operation.
The initiative is being undertaken in line with directions issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for regulating diesel generator sets in Delhi-NCR. Generator emissions are a specific concern during winter, when air pollution levels typically rise and the Graded Response Action Plan may be activated for pollution control.
NHAI said the devices are intended to control emissions from the generator sets and support compliance with air-quality regulations. The equipment will be used on generators associated with the operation and ongoing works of the expressway section rather than as part of a change to the highway’s traffic system.
The authority will also maintain GPS-tagged photographs as evidence that the devices have been installed on each generator set. This documentation is intended to help verify installation and compliance during the implementation process.
The measure places an operational component of the expressway’s functioning within the wider regulatory framework for controlling emissions from diesel generator sets. While the generators support lighting and other works on the corridor, their use also creates a local source of emissions that must be managed under Delhi-NCR’s air-quality directions.
The Dwarka Expressway is a major road corridor connecting Delhi and Gurugram, and Package Four forms part of the section approaching the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway interchange near Kherki Daula. NHAI said the pollution-control initiative is part of its effort to strengthen environmental protection measures during the operation of national highways.
The next steps are the installation, testing and commissioning of the RECD equipment, followed by maintenance and documentation through GPS-tagged photographs for the 25 generator sets.
