The 11 coal-fired power plants in the National Capital Region contributed just 7 per cent to Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution on an average between October 2020 and January 2021, while vehicles contributed 14 per cent, according to a new study. The findings are significant considering that the Delhi government had recently moved to the Supreme Court, seeking closure of the coal-fired power plants in the vicinity of the city using outdated polluting technology.
On April 1, the Union Environment Ministry had issued a notification with amended rules allowing thermal power plants within 10 kilometres of the National Capital Region (NCR) and in cities with more than 10 lakh population to comply with new emission norms by the end of 2022.
