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How clean is Delhi’s electricity? Not much, finds CSE study.

<p>The Delhi government sources 33.6 per cent of its total power needs from coal-based thermal power plants (TPP) that do not meet emission norms for particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen as stipulated by the Environment Protection Act, 1986. This was revealed by Delhi-based nonprofit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its recent analysis. </p><p>The city-state has contracts with several coal-based TPPs across the country from which it sources around 5,000 megawatt power.</p><p>The two coal-fired TPPs Delhi had — one in Rajghat and another in Badarpur — were shut in 2015 and 2018 respectively in a bid to bring down pollution levels in the city. Last week, the Aam Aadmi Party had, however, said “when the Delhi government can shut down its power plants then why can't the other states do the same”. </p><p>Coal-based power is one of the most resource-intensive and polluting industries. On December 7, 2015, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) introduced stricter environmental standards for coal-based thermal power plants under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.</p><p>While all TPPs were required to comply with the revised standards by December 2017, the deadline was pushed to 2022. The CSE research, however, showed that several power plants across the country would not meet the 2022 deadline to contain pollution due to particulate matter, nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide.</p><p> </p><p><i>[source: downearth.org, 23/10/2020]</i></p>

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