In 2013, over 1.2 lakh assembled generators were sold in the country, according to experts.
The National Green Tribunal may have declared war against air pollution in the capital, but one sector which seems unaffected is the grey market of assembled diesel generator sets in the national capital.
NDTV went to the back lanes of the GB road and nearby areas of central Delhi, where several small time manufacturers continue to sell assembled generators. Prices start from Rs 35,000 for a 7.5 Kilo Watt set, and can go up to Rs one lakh, depending upon the output required.
Kanwaljeet Singh has been manufacturing diesel generator sets and its accessories for the past two decades. Mr Singh told NDTV, "Earlier I used to sell more than 10 sets every day, but since the power situation in the capital has improved, most of my customers come from outside Delhi and nearby areas."
Mr Singh isn't the only one who does that for a living, several adjoining shops have also been assembling such generators. "We used to make alternators but then attached motors with them to make generators," said another shopkeeper who did not want to be identified.
In 2004, the Central Pollution Control Board came out with norms for power generators, setting limits on the emissions of noxious gasses as well as noise. While there is no estimate about the number of these assembled or "Jugaad" generators, in 2013, over 1.2 lakh generators were sold in the country, according to experts.
While the dozen big generator manufacturers in India confirm to the pollution and noise regulations, there is no subsequent check on these generators once sold to ensure that they are not polluting.
A resident of Noida in Uttar Pradesh, Ujwal Ghosh said, "I have to take my car every few months to get a pollution control certificate, why can't the government set up rules to ensure periodic checks on these generators to make sure they aren't polluting."