Friday, February 17, 2006
Agra's Generator Industry Faces Closure
By Brij Khandelwal
Agra: Unable to keep pace with technological changes, Agra's booming power generator industry, which employs about 15,000 people, is facing closure after a recent directive imposing strict guidelines to reduce noise pollution.
The Central Pollution Control Board has directed the 150-odd units here to equip all diesel-fuelled generators with pollution control devices, a canopy and an enclosure to regulate the emissions.
The directive sent shock waves through the industry, which in any case has to meet strict Euro III emission norms by July 2005.
Considering the costs involved, the industry seems in no position to redesign the generators to control noise pollution to the stipulated 75 decibels level.
Agra's generator industry meets 70% of India's need for diesel engines, used for pumping water to the fields and to generate low-cost electricity.
Elaborating on the doomsday scenario facing the industry, Harish Mohan Sethi, head of the automobile department at the Dayalbagh deemed university, said the conventional 'Peter' engines manufactured here would have to undergo considerable up gradation to meet the new standards. The changes could escalate costs, which in turn would make the whole industry economically unviable, he said. "The engines being manufactured locally would need major modifications in their fuel injection equipment and exhaust system," Sethi said. The leading emissions expert said he had successfully designed and tested an integrated oxidation catalytic converter-cum-heat exchanger system for light diesel engines.
Agra: Unable to keep pace with technological changes, Agra's booming power generator industry, which employs about 15,000 people, is facing closure after a recent directive imposing strict guidelines to reduce noise pollution.
The Central Pollution Control Board has directed the 150-odd units here to equip all diesel-fuelled generators with pollution control devices, a canopy and an enclosure to regulate the emissions.
The directive sent shock waves through the industry, which in any case has to meet strict Euro III emission norms by July 2005.
Considering the costs involved, the industry seems in no position to redesign the generators to control noise pollution to the stipulated 75 decibels level.
Agra's generator industry meets 70% of India's need for diesel engines, used for pumping water to the fields and to generate low-cost electricity.
Elaborating on the doomsday scenario facing the industry, Harish Mohan Sethi, head of the automobile department at the Dayalbagh deemed university, said the conventional 'Peter' engines manufactured here would have to undergo considerable up gradation to meet the new standards. The changes could escalate costs, which in turn would make the whole industry economically unviable, he said. "The engines being manufactured locally would need major modifications in their fuel injection equipment and exhaust system," Sethi said. The leading emissions expert said he had successfully designed and tested an integrated oxidation catalytic converter-cum-heat exchanger system for light diesel engines.
# posted by mediabhartiwebsolutions @ 2:12 AM 
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