Coal Plants Around Delhi Are Pumping Out More SO2 Than the City's Traffic Ever Could A new report has found that coal power plants within 300 km of Delhi, many of them exempt from installing pollution control technology, are emitting massive amounts of sulphur dioxide and are a bigger driver of the capital's pollution than dust or vehicle smoke. A new report has pointed to a much bigger culprit behind Delhi's annual pollution crisis than the dust storms and vehicle exhaust that usually dominate the conversation. While authorities crack down on vehicular smoke and experts point to dust blowing in from Pakistan and Afghanistan, the report shows that coal power plants ringing the capital are pumping out a toxic gas that is doing far more damage to the lungs of Delhi's residents. Coal plants within 300 km emerge as the real threat A new study by the Finland based non profit Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, or CREA, has found that coal fired power plants located within roughly 300 kilometres of Delhi are the single biggest source of air pollution choking the city. Of the 37 coal power plants operating in this radius, 20 units are releasing sulphur dioxide, or SO2, well above the safe limits set by the Ministry of Environment. This gas has turned into a direct threat to the health of people living in and around Delhi. What is FGD, and why are so many plants exempt According to the report, the plants doing the most damage to Delhi's air are the ones that have been fully exempted by the central government from installing Flue Gas Desulphurisation, or FGD, systems. FGD is a technology that significantly cuts down the sulphur dioxide released when coal is burned. A plant that skips this technology ends up releasing emissions that can cause serious harm to the surrounding environment. What makes the situation worse is that nearly 78 percent of all coal plants in India fall under Category C, and it is this very category that the central government has exempted from the FGD requirement. As a result, these plants are releasing massive quantities of sulphur dioxide into the air without any check. An estimated 1.54 lakh tonnes of SO2 every year Plants located around Delhi-NCR are estimated to be releasing around 1.54 lakh tonnes of sulphur dioxide every single year. Of this, 90 percent comes from plants that have no FGD system installed at all, while 81 percent is being emitted specifically by Category C plants that have been granted a full exemption. In other words, the very plants that were let off the hook by the rules are the ones generating the most pollution. From Rajpura to Ropar, these plants top the list Among the plants identified as the biggest polluters around Delhi are Rajpura, Talwandi Sabo, Rajiv Gandhi TPS, Guru Hargobind TPS, Harduaganj and Ropar. The survey found that none of these six plants has an FGD system installed, which explains why their emission levels are the highest recorded. A 2015 order, followed by repeated exemptions Back in 2015, the central government had ordered all coal power plants across the country to install FGD systems in order to control sulphur dioxide emissions. However, the deadline for compliance was pushed back multiple times over the years. Eventually, plants falling under Category C were given a complete exemption from the requirement, and that decision is now directly showing up in the quality of the air around Delhi-NCR. Dadri and Mahatma Gandhi Thermal Power Plant show what is possible Not every plant in the report performed badly. Two plants, Dadri and Mahatma Gandhi Thermal Power Plant, recorded significantly lower sulphur dioxide emissions than the rest. Both of these plants were found to already have FGD systems installed, and that is precisely why their contribution to pollution is far smaller compared to the other plants surveyed. Why sulphur dioxide is so dangerous for health Sulphur dioxide is considered a highly harmful gas. Once released into the air, it combines with other elements to form fine particulate matter, or PM, which is small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs, triggering a range of illnesses. The scale of the problem is significant since India is recognised as the world's largest emitter of sulphur dioxide from coal power plants, which makes controlling these emissions an enormous challenge for the country. What this means for you • Across India: With 78 percent of the country's coal plants exempt from installing FGD technology, large scale sulphur dioxide emissions are likely to continue unchecked in the near future. • In Delhi-NCR: With 20 plant units within 300 km of the city releasing SO2 above the safe limit, residents face a higher risk of respiratory illness linked to this pollution. Questions & Answers 1. What new cause of Delhi's pollution has this report revealed? The report found that sulphur dioxide gas released by coal power plants around Delhi is the biggest driver of the city's poor air quality. 2. Who prepared this report? The report was prepared by the Finland based non profit Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, or CREA. 3. What is an FGD system? Flue Gas Desulphurisation, or FGD, is a technology that reduces the amount of sulphur dioxide released when coal is burned. 4. How many coal plants are exempt from installing FGD? Around 78 percent of India's total coal plants fall under Category C, which has been fully exempted from installing FGD. 5. How much SO2 is being released around Delhi-NCR every year? An estimated 1.54 lakh tonnes of sulphur dioxide is released every year, with 90 percent coming from plants that have no FGD system installed. 6. Which plants are the biggest polluters? Rajpura, Talwandi Sabo, Rajiv Gandhi TPS, Guru Hargobind TPS, Harduaganj and Ropar have the highest emissions, and none of them has an FGD system installed. 7. Which plants are polluting the least? Dadri and Mahatma Gandhi Thermal Power Plant have FGD systems installed, so their emissions are far lower. 8. What order did the central government give regarding FGD? In 2015 the central government ordered all coal plants to install FGD systems, but the deadline was extended repeatedly and Category C plants were eventually given a full exemption. https://trendkia.com/en/national/delhi-ko-ghola-raha-koyala-plantsa-ka-jaharila-dhuan-stadi-men-samane-ai-asali-vajaha-7601 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.