SC asks govt if timeline for Delhi power plants compliance should be reduced
This story was originally published at 19:10 IST on 2 April 2025
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NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change whether the timeline for "category C" power plants in the Delhi-National Capital Region to comply with statutory emission standards for sulphur dioxide be reduced from Dec. 31, 2029. The apex court also asked the environment ministry whether the categorisation of the thermal power plants within 300 km from Delhi can be changed.
"On the aspect of classification and on the aspect of reducing the timeline, we will need the response of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. While we do so, we have to also ensure the timelines are not repeatedly extended," said the top court. The apex court issued notices to thermal power plants which had not complied with the statutory emission standards for sulphur dioxide.
In December, the environment ministry had issued a notification extending the deadline for thermal power plants to meet sulphur dioxide standards. The government had prolonged the timeframe for the installation of flue gas desulfurization systems in the thermal power plants.
In an earlier hearing, amicus curiae Aparajita Singh had said that thermal power plants accounted for 8% of the pollution in the Delhi-National Capital Region. Singh said that the compliance had been repeatedly postponed due to the extensions granted by the environment ministry.
In 2021, a task force was constituted by the environment ministry to disaggregate 596 coal thermal power plants based on location, creating categories A, B, and C with different compliance deadlines. Category A covered plants located within 10 km radius of National Capital Region or cities with population exceeding 1 million, and these should comply with norms by Dec. 31, 2022. Category B included plants within a 10-km radius of critically polluted areas or non-attainment cities, with a deadline of Dec. 31, 2023. Category C included all remaining plants, and they were to comply by Dec. 31, 2024.
Thereafter, in 2022, through a notification, timelines were revised. These were further revised in 2024, where category A had to comply by Dec. 31, 2027, category B by Dec. 31, 2028, and category C by Dec. 31, 2029. End
Reported by Surya Tripathi
Edited by Ashish Shirke
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