New Delhi: The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) urged the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that thermal power plants have no role in raising Delhi’s air pollution. The DPCC clarified it after being noticed from the NGT, which had taken suo motu (self-initiated) action based on media reports about air pollution. The DPCC made it clear that all three coal-based thermal power plants in Delhi—ITO, Rajghat, and Badarpur—have not been in function for many years.
A Finland-based independent think tank, the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), has been singing a different song, urging that thermal power plants contribute 16 times more air pollution than stubble burning in the National Capital Region (NCR). As per the report, these plants emit 281 kilotons of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) annually, making air quality poor.
The NGT, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Srivastava, has issued notices to many agencies, including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), Haryana Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), and Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) in response to the pollution concerns.
Besides industrial release, weather conditions have also played a crucial role in Delhi’s pollution rise. Low wind speed traps pollutants in the air, which makes dangerous particles such as dust, smoke, and toxic gases disperse. As a result, pollutants from stubble burning and other sources remain in the atmosphere, further deteriorating air quality.
The NGT urged the authorities to review the situation minutely and submit their reports. The issue is a big concern for the city’s public health and environmental safety.
