For the third consecutive day, a dense, choking smog blanketed Delhi, pushing pollution levels into the hazardous “severe plus” category, with an alarming Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 488 on Tuesday morning. Efforts to control the escalating crisis have included the enforcement of Phase 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), but the situation remains grim as cold weather and stagnant winds trap pollutants over the region.
A study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has highlighted a troubling contributor to this crisis: thermal power plants in the Delhi-NCR region emit 16 times more pollution than stubble burning. Over a 12-month period ending in May 2023, these plants released a staggering 281 kilotons of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), dwarfing the 17.8 kilotons generated by burning 8.9 million tons of crop stubble in Punjab and Haryana.
The CREA findings underscore the significant role of thermal power plants in Delhi-NCR’s pollution crisis, revealing their disproportionate impact when compared to agricultural practices. The cold air and low wind speeds have exacerbated the problem by preventing pollutants from dispersing, causing Delhi to experience its coldest night of the season on Monday, with temperatures dropping to 12.3°C.
The dire situation has even affected court proceedings, with Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna announcing that judges have been instructed to permit virtual hearings whenever feasible. This decision came after legal representatives, including Kapil Sibal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, raised concerns over the worsening air quality and the urgent need for effective measures to combat it.
