India News | SC Seeks Centre's Stand on Reducing Timeline for Power Plants to Comply with Emission Norms

New Delhi, Apr 2 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre's environment and forest ministry to file its stand for reducing the timeline given to thermal power plants to comply with statutory emission norms.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan noted of the 11 coal-based thermal power plants, only three were compliant to pollution norms and there was only partial compliance in other cases.

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The top court said the timelines, in relation to sulphur dioxide (SO2) and non-SO2 pollutants, should not be repeatedly extended.

"The question is whether the timeline of compliance up to December 31, 2029, can be reduced. On the aspect of classification and on the aspect of reducing the timeline, we will need the response of the Ministry of Environment and Forests...," the bench said.

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The court added, "In the meanwhile, we direct the Ministry of Environment and Forests to file its response in terms of what we have observed in the order and in terms of the note submitted by amicus curiae."

The Centre was directed to file its response three days prior to the next hearing on April 29.

Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is amicus curiae in the matter, said though the deadline for compliance was 2017 initially, nothing happened.

"None of the 11 plants are to retire so they cannot be exempted from compliance. I am seeking that compliance timelines for power plants within 300 kilometer of NCR should be expedited," she said.

Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati said the Centre took a decision on not retiring any of the power plants due to the energy requirements.

The top court had previously expressed concern over the extension granted by the government to power plants to comply with the statutory emission norms.

On December 30, 2024, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued a notification extending the deadline for thermal power plants to meet SO2 emission standards.

The ministry has extended the timeframe for the installation of flue gas desulfurisation systems in power plants.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)