Thermal Power Plants Not Responsible for Pollution, DPCC Tells NGT

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) informed the court that all three coal-based power plants in Delhi—located at ITO, Rajghat, and Badarpur—were shut down in 2009, 2015, and 2018, respectively. Therefore, no coal-based thermal power plants are currently operational in the city. As a result, DPCC stated that thermal power plants are not contributing to air pollution in Delhi. This information was provided in a recent response submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The NGT had previously taken a strong stance on the matter during the last hearing, issuing notices to various authorities, including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), DPCC, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPCB), Haryana Pollution Control Board (HSPC), Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), Air Quality Management Commission (CAQM), and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, seeking their response. This followed the tribunal's suo motu cognizance of media reports on air pollution in Delhi.

The media report referenced a study by the Finland-based think tank, Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), which claimed that thermal power plants, rather than stubble burning or vehicle emissions, are the primary contributors to the city's air pollution. According to the report, power plants are responsible for 16 times more air pollution than stubble burning. The study further revealed that coal-fired thermal power plants in the National Capital Region (NCR) emit 281 kilotons of sulphur dioxide (SO2) annually, significantly more than the 17.8 kilotons of SO2 produced by the burning of 8.9 million tons of stubble.

In addition, unfavourable weather conditions in Delhi, such as stagnant air and lower temperatures, are exacerbating the pollution crisis. These conditions prevent pollutants, including stubble smoke, from dissipating, causing harmful particles like dust and smoke to remain trapped in the air. This results in the air quality in Delhi and its surrounding areas becoming dangerously toxic.