71% of India’s coal power plants violating emission norms: CREA report

A recent analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has revealed a disturbing trend: nearly three-quarters of India's coal-based power plants are violating emission standards, releasing dangerous levels of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) into the atmosphere.

According to CREA, 380 out of 537 power plant units in India are exceeding pollution limits, emitting between 1.5 to 10 times more SO₂ than allowed. This means 71 percent of power plant units are not meeting the environmental regulations introduced by the Indian government in 2015.

Emission norms ignored for a decade

In 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) made it mandatory for all coal-fired power plants to install Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems to reduce SO₂ emissions. The original deadline was set for 2017. But the power sector missed that deadline—and three more after it. In December 2024, the government pushed the deadline further to 2029, allowing non-compliance to continue unchecked.

As of 2025, only 44 out of 537 power plants have installed FGDs—just 8 percent. Among the rest, 380 plants (77%) are releasing SO₂ above permitted levels, 59 (12%) are compliant, and data from 54 units (11%) is unavailable.

Pollution from power plants doesn’t just stay nearby. CREA's analysis found that 16 percent of pollution from these plants travels to distant areas, affecting regions that don’t even host power plants. This “long-range transport” of SO₂ and other harmful gases turns localized pollution into a national health crisis.

What’s worse, even in areas not classified as highly polluted, power plant emissions are pushing air quality into dangerous territory.

Two new studies—one by IIT Delhi and another by IIT Bombay—add scientific weight to CREA’s findings.

The IIT Delhi study shows that most fine particle pollution (PM2.5) in India is secondary, meaning it forms in the air through chemical reactions, mainly involving sulfur dioxide. PM2.5 is small enough to enter the lungs and bloodstream, causing serious health issues.

Startling emissions data from power plants

In terms of contribution, household activities are responsible for 22 percent of secondary PM2.5, followed by industry (14%), and both the power and transport sectors at 11 percent each.

Meanwhile, the IIT Bombay study examined 143 Indian cities and found that an average of 85 percent of PM2.5 in these cities comes from outside their boundaries—what scientists call "transboundary pollution." In 107 out of 122 cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), over 80 percent of PM2.5 comes from outside sources. The major contributors include:

• Biomass burning: 32%

• Energy production: 16%

• Industry: 15%

This means even if cities clean up local pollution, they still won't meet national air quality targets unless pollution from sources like power plants is addressed.

The CREA report also highlighted shocking emission levels from coal-fired plants:

• Plants that should emit no more than 100 mg/Nm³ of SO₂ are releasing an average of 1,068 mg/Nm³—over 10 times the limit.

• Even plants with more lenient standards (200 mg/Nm³ and 600 mg/Nm³) are emitting far above permissible levels, averaging 996 and 1,007 mg/Nm³ respectively.

Plants located near major urban centers and pollution hotspots—like the National Capital Region and critically polluted zones—are just as guilty. Across the board, emission levels are dangerously high.