CPCB's Decade of Neglect: Thermal Power Plants' Unchecked Emissions Near Delhi

An RTI reveals that the Central Pollution Control Board has not conducted comprehensive stack-emission monitoring for thermal power plants within 300 km of Delhi over the past decade. This regulatory oversight highlights significant enforcement failures, despite mandatory regulations aiming to curb pollutants like sulfur dioxide and PM2.5.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has failed to perform full stack-emission monitoring on thermal power plants within a 300-km radius of Delhi over the past ten years, as indicated by a recent RTI reply.

Stack-emission monitoring is crucial for measuring pollutants from industrial chimneys, ensuring air pollution compliance. Despite a 2015 mandate requiring comprehensive emission checks for all thermal power plants, the RTI exposes that complete assessments haven't occurred in the plants near the national capital. Notably, only two plants underwent partial monitoring, with results still pending.

The whistleblower, Amit Gupta, criticized the government's oversight, highlighting the grave pollution effects on the Delhi-NCR region's air quality, particularly during winter months. He called the absence of proper monitoring alarming amidst the city's persistent pollution crisis.

(With inputs from agencies.)