No Monitoring Of Emissions From 11 Coal Plants Near Delhi For 10 Years: RTI

As Delhi gasps under a toxic haze with the air quality index soaring past 400 into the 'severe' category, necessitating the hasty re-imposition of stringent GRAP-3 restrictions across the NCR.

But in a damning indictment of India's air pollution oversight, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has admitted through an RTI response that it has conducted no comprehensive stack-emission monitoring at any of the 11 coal-fired thermal power plants within 300 km of Delhi for over a decade.

That means major polluters like NTPC Dadri and others are relentlessly spewing particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, and noxious toxins directly fuelling Delhi's deadly air pollution, with no penalties enforced despite 2015 mandates that require these plants to install Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems and adhere to stricter norms, thereby rendering short-term measures like GRAP mere band-aids on a gaping regulatory wound that demands immediate accountability for this massive public health crisis.

There are approximately 11 coal-based thermal power plants with 35 units operating within this radius, primarily in Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. 

These plants are significant sources of air pollution, emitting sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), and heavy metals. Studies, including one by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), estimate that these TPPs release SO2 emissions 16 times higher than those from seasonal stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. Full implementation of control measures could reduce SO2 emissions in the region by up to 67 per cent.

SO2 from these plants reacts in the atmosphere to form secondary fine particulate matter (PM2.5), a major contributor to Delhi's winter smog that penetrates deep into the lungs and bloodstream, exacerbating respiratory diseases, asthma, heart conditions, and premature deaths. Experts note that TPPs contribute persistently year-round, unlike seasonal sources, and account for a notable share of the region's PM2.5 load.

In 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) notified stringent emission standards for TPPs, requiring compliance including installation of Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems to control SO2.

However, the CPCB's RTI response highlights a complete failure in monitoring and enforcement over the past decade:

"CPCB has not carried out thorough stack emission monitoring of TPPs located within 300 km radius of Delhi after the applicability of the emission standards prescribed vide notification dated 07.12.2015 (as subsequently amended), except in case of 2 TPPs - namely - Deenbandhu Chhoturam TPS, HPGCL, Haryana and Guru Hargobind TPP, PSPCL, Punjab, for which the complete conduction of stack emission monitoring/analysis and submission of emission monitoring samples/results are still awaited."

Further, as per a MoEF&CC notification dated July 11 this year, SO2 standards are now mandatorily applicable only to Category 'A' TPPs:

"Out of 4 Category 'A' TPPs located within 300 km radius of Delhi, 3 TPPs (i. NCTPS Dadri (6 units), Uttar Pradesh, ii. Mahatma Gandhi TPS (2 Units), Haryana, and iii. Indira Gandhi STPS (3 Units), Haryana) have installed SO2 control measures i.e. wet/dry FGD, and remaining 1 TPP (Panipat TPS (3 Units), Haryana) is yet to implement the same (time limit is up to 31.12.2027). CPCB has so far not taken any action against any of the aforesaid plants w.r.t. implementation of the said emission standards."

Environmentalist Amit Gupta, who filed the RTI, described the findings as a "shocker," stating: "This failure alone explains why major industrial emissions continue unchecked... You cannot reduce what you do not measure. And right now, Delhi's air is being managed blindly."

The revelation underscores a critical gap in regulatory oversight, with no comprehensive stack monitoring conducted for any plant in 10 years, and no enforcement actions taken despite known non-compliance risks.

Environmentalists argue that without rigorous monitoring and penalties, TPPs operate with impunity, directly impacting public health in one of the world's most polluted regions.