Delhi pollution: Thermal power plants yet to conform to emission norms

Only two of the 12 thermal power plants located within a 300-km of Delhi have heeded to a 2015 order to integrate technologies that reduce sulphur in emissions

Only two of the 12 thermal power plants located within a 300-km radius of Delhi have heeded to a 2015 government order integrate technologies that reduce sulphur in their emissions, records reviewed by HT show, underlining how efforts to mitigate the air pollution crisis are marred by inaction by various stakeholders.

Delhi is under the grip of a sustained severely polluted air, with the AQI in the very poor zone for the past four days. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The Union government in 2015 issued notices to all coal-based thermal power plants in this particular zone to integrate flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) technology, which substantially reduces sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions, within two years. The aim, experts aware of the matter, was to reduce pollution from power plants in the National Capital Region (NCR).

But, eight years since it was issued, only two plants — the Mahatma Gandhi thermal power station (Haryana) and Dadri thermal power station (Uttar Pradesh) — have integrated this technology, data from the environment ministry shows.

Of the remaining 10, two — Indira Gandhi super thermal power project (Haryana) and Rajpura thermal power project (Punjab) — have awarded a tender for FGD, which takes 24-36 months to integrate. The other plants have not only missed the first deadline of 2017-end set by the ministry, but also missed three subsequent deadlines, the experts said.

Coal combustion leads to a spike in sulphur dioxide (SO2), releases oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and also increases PM2.5 particulates. Thermal power plants are the only industry within NCR where the use of coal is permitted — the Commission of Air Quality Management (CAQM) had banned coal as a permissible fuel from all other industries in NCR from October 1, 2022.

The other missed deadlines were of December 2019, March 2021 and then December 2022. Central Pollution Control Board has fined the plants ₹18 lakh per month each for non-compliance between January, 2020 and March, 2021. The Union government has now laid down a fifth deadline, which for four of the plants is for December 2024 and the remaining six for December 2026.

The status of compliance has been assessed by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), which said the 12 plants have a combined 36 units that are operational, but only seven units have FGD in place.

“Ample time has been given to these power plants to meet not just one, but four deadlines now. Our assessment shows that out of the 36 units, only seven have FGD installed and bids have been awarded for six more units. For 15 units, a notice inviting tender has been issued and for the remaining eight units, only a feasibility study has been done,” said Sunil Dahiya, an analyst at CREA.

HT reached out to the environment ministry, but officials there did not respond to queries for a comment on the matter.

Data shows thermal power plants are a key contributor to Delhi’s air pollution throughout the year. A source apportionment study carried out by IIT Kanpur in 2015-16 found that nearly 52% of NOx emissions and 90% of sulphur dioxide emissions in Delhi could be attributed to industrial point sources, largely from power plants.

A 2018 source apportionment study by TERI further found coal, fly ash, and secondary particles from thermal power plants and industries in Delhi contribute around 35% of the PM2.5 load in the winter, and 41% of the PM2.5 load in the summer.

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said these plants are a known source of pollution for the region. “In NCR, this is the only place where coal is permitted. Had FGDs been in place, the impact of SO2 being emitted, and even NOx, would have been much lower, but this is not the case. We have seen multiple deadlines pass, but even now, we are unsure how many will meet the next deadline of December 2024,” she said.

Dahiya added that a lack of action against these plants for violating deadlines was negating the good work being put in to regulate pollution in other sectors.

There are 11 coal-based thermal power plants that fall within Delhi’s 300-km radius — Indira Gandhi super thermal power project, Mahatma Gandhi thermal power station (TPS), Panipat TPS, Rajiv Gandhi TPS, Yamuna Nagar TPS (all Haryana), Rajpura thermal power plant (TPP), Talwandi Sabo TPP, Guru Hargobind TPS, Ropar TPS (all Punjab), and Dadri TPS and Harduaganj TPS.

A twelfth plant, the Goindwal Sahib TPP in Punjab, located just outside of the 300km radius, is also counted when decisions are taken in regard to thermal power plants located around Delhi.