India to halt some coal plants to clean Delhi's air

Delhi

INDIA has directed 6 coal-fired power plants located around Delhi to shut down until the end of this month as part of measures to clean some of the world's dirtiest air, as a cloud of smog has enveloped the city and its suburbs for nearly 2 weeks.

The federal Environment Ministry late Tuesday (Nov 16) also barred the entry of all trucks except those carrying essential items into the National Capital Region of Delhi and encouraged citizens to work from home (WFH) to curb pollution. The decision came after officials from the Delhi government and the neighboring states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana met to discuss ways to check the soaring pollution. India's Supreme Court on Monday (Nov 15) called for urgent restrictions on vehicular movement and industrial activities in and around the capital. The city has ordered schools to only teach online until Nov 20, halted construction activities and asked some government employees to WFH after the top court called the situation an "emergency" on Saturday (Nov 13).

About half the 13,210 megawatt (MW) thermal power capacities in the capital region have been ordered shut to improve air quality. Thermal capacity of 6,300 MW capacity within a 300 km radius of Delhi that has been closed down includes 2 units of 2,400 MW in neighbouring Haryana, 2 units of 2,180 MW in Punjab and 2 of 2,320 MW in Uttar Pradesh. The move is unlikely to have an impact on power supplies to the Indian capital and other states. Power companies are usually prepared for this annual exercise and tie up capacities in advance to deal with the situation. Any step that affects power supply would be counter-productive as it could lead to a jump in the use of diesel-fuelled generators.

The shutting down of power plants will help address emissions and cut pollution, said Jyoti Pande Lavakare, author of Breathing Here is Injurious to Your Health and co-founder of civil society group Care for Air. But "we need a thought-through, ambitious plan, which is being led with leadership right from the top" to address the issue in the long term, she said.

A thick blanket of of toxic haze is an annual phenomenon in the northern city and its surroundings, especially as winter arrives and temperatures dip. Politicians and authorities have squabbled over a solution for years, with dialogue picking up only when the pollution soars. However, as the pollution levels ebb, the debate dies down and the issue has never caused any serious political fallout.

Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore on Wednesday (Nov 17), Sunil Mittal, billionaire chairman of Bharti Airtel, said he would fly back to Delhi that night, a city "covered in smog". "We can't live like this," he said. BLOOMBERG