Coal-fired plants need extra time to meet emission norms: Ministry

India’s power ministry has asked for coal-fired power plants around New Delhi, the capital city with the worst air quality in the world, to be given more time to install equipment to reduce emissions, after the year-end deadline for action passed.

A government official, who requested anonymity told Reuters on Friday the power ministry had sent its recommendation to the environment ministry, which is in charge of enforcing the emission standards, for the power plants to be given new deadlines starting July 2020 and ending December 2021.

The utilities have cited costs and technical difficulties for missing earlier deadlines, at the end of 2017 and then the end of 2019.