NEW DELHI: With air pollution levels beginning to deteriorate, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started installing Retrofit Emission Control Devices (RECDs) on 25 diesel generator (DG) sets deployed along Package IV of the 8.7-km-long Dwarka Expressway.
The stretch connects Basai to the cloverleaf interchange at the Delhi–Gurugram Expressway near Kherki Dhaula. The initiative aims to strengthen environmental protection measures along the National Highway corridor in the National Capital Region (NCR), the authority said.
“The initiative is being implemented in compliance with the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) concerning the regulation of diesel generator sets in the NCR, with the objective of mitigating air pollution, particularly during the winter season under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP),” officials said.
Package IV of the Dwarka Expressway falls within the NCR, which experiences severe air pollution during the winter months. To improve ambient air quality during this critical period, the CAQM has mandated regulatory and emission-control measures for DG sets operating in the region.
The RECDs will be installed on DG sets used for expressway lighting and other associated operations, strengthening emission-control measures during their operation. The work includes installation, testing and commissioning of the devices, along with comprehensive maintenance support.
“The RECD installation is part of NHAI's broader approach towards integrating environmental protection into National Highway construction and operation, particularly for projects located in the NCR. The initiative will help ensure that DG sets required for essential National Highway-related operations are equipped with appropriate emission-control systems in line with the applicable regulatory framework. NHAI has also specified that GPS-tagged photographs of RECD installations at each DG set and location will be maintained for verification and compliance purposes,” NHAI officials said.
The authority added that its environmental initiatives for National Highway projects in the Delhi-NCR region were aligned with the broader objective of ensuring that the expansion and operation of highway infrastructure complied with air quality norms.