Coal ban: Thermal plants need attention

To control air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has banned the use of coal for industrial, domestic, and other purposes in the entire area from January 1, 2023. The ban will come into effect from October 1 this year in regions where piped natural gas is available. For other areas, it begins on January 1. However, this ban does not cover thermal power plants, a key contributor to air pollution.

Delhi is among the world’s most polluted cities. While farm fires and emissions from garbage burning result in concentrations of PM2.5 ultra-fine particles, a study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows that seven industrial districts in NCR had an estimated coal usage of up to 1.4 million tonnes by industries. These industries, says CSE, need a road map to switch to cleaner fuels and common combustion facilities, controlling fugitive emissions, and improving infrastructure.

More critically, the government must push the thermal power plants to clean up their act. For example, in 2015, the government asked power plants to install flue gas desulphurisation (FGD), to control toxic SO2 emissions. But power plants failed to install FGD by the 2017 deadline, missed the 2019 one for Delhi-NCR plants, and most (61%) will miss a staggered deadline running till 2022. The State must push the plants to install FGD, penalise plants that have not awarded bids for doing so, and, as experts are demanding, make real-time and historical emissions from power plant units public to enhance transparency. Clean air is a fundamental right. Take all steps to ensure Indian citizens can enjoy that crucial right in letter and spirit.