The Delhi government has requested the Centre to shut down 13 coal-based power plants not adhering to 2015 norms of the environment ministry, saying emissions from these facilities are among reasons for the city’s poor air quality. In a letter to Union Power Minister R K Singh, Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain said the coal-based power plants operating in a 300-km radius of the national capital are the “worst offenders” responsible for Delhi’s toxic air.
Jain said a 2016 IIT Kanpur study said emissions from these 13 thermal power plants, with a capacity of over 11,000 MW, contribute to the formation of secondary particles like sulphates and nitrates which are products of reaction between aerosols with gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.
