In December 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) announced a set of emission norms to be followed by all coal-based plants in India, which were to become effective from 7th December 2017. An article published in The India Forum analyses the status of these norms six years since their notification. It finds that, despite multiple dilutions and postponements, the norms have barely been implemented. Various stakeholders, ranging across the Ministry of Power, MoEFCC, the regulators and generators, have all contributed to this delay. With the role of coal in power generation gradually likely to fade out in the coming decades, it is not clear if India will ever get a robust and effect emission control regime for its coal-based power sector.

This article was translated and published by Eklavya in their Hindi magazine Srot (Vigyan evam technology features). This translation is available here.