No emissions monitoring at 11 coal plants near Delhi for over a decade, CPCB admits in RTI reply
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As Delhi grappled with severe air pollution, with the air quality index crossing 400 and GRAP-3 restrictions reimposed across the NCR, a new RTI disclosure has revealed a serious failure in pollution oversight.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has admitted that it has not carried out comprehensive stack-emission monitoring at any of the 11 coal-fired thermal power plants located within 300 km of Delhi for more than 10 years.
The admission came in response to an RTI filed by environmentalist Amit Gupta.
The plants, spread across Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, operate 35 coal-based units and are among the region’s largest industrial polluters.
According to the CPCB, no thorough stack-emission monitoring has been conducted since stricter emission norms were notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in December 2015. These norms mandate tighter limits on sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), and particulate matter, along with the installation of Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems.
In its reply, the CPCB said that except for two plants — Deenbandhu Chhoturam TPS in Haryana and Guru Hargobind TPP in Punjab — no complete monitoring has been undertaken. Even in these cases, analysis and submission of emission samples and results are still pending.
Coal-fired thermal power plants are major sources of SO₂, NOₓ, particulate matter, and heavy metals.
Studies, including one by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, estimate that SO₂ emissions from these plants are 16 times higher than emissions from stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana. Sulphur dioxide reacts in the atmosphere to form PM2.5, a key contributor to Delhi’s winter smog and a pollutant linked to respiratory illness, heart disease, and premature deaths.
The RTI reply also highlights weak enforcement. A July 11 notification made SO₂ norms mandatory only for Category A thermal power plants. Of the four such plants within 300 km of Delhi, three have installed FGD systems — NTPC Dadri, Mahatma Gandhi TPS, and Indira Gandhi STPS — while Panipat TPS has been given time until December 31, 2027, to comply.
The CPCB acknowledged that it has taken no action against any of these plants regarding emission standards. Gupta called the findings alarming, saying pollution cannot be reduced if it is not measured. Environmentalists warn that the absence of monitoring allows coal plants to operate unchecked, undermining short-term measures like GRAP and worsening Delhi’s public health crisis.