New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has recovered Rs 30.92 crore from six thermal power plants penalised for failing to meet biomass co-firing targets during 2024-25. The sum is half the Rs 61.85 crore in Environmental Compensation (EC) levied on them. The recovery was made in compliance with interim orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), according to a statement issued by the Environment Ministry on Wednesday.
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The Commission noted the EC status at the 29th meeting of its Full Commission, held on August 18 under the chairmanship of Rajesh Verma.
CAQM had imposed the compensation in April 2026. The largest single liability sits with Talwandi Sabo Power Limited at Mansa, Punjab, operated by Vedanta, at Rs 33.02 crore. That is 53 percent of the total across all six plants.
Three Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) stations follow. Panipat Thermal Power Station was assessed at Rs 8.98 crore. Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Station at Yamunanagar was assessed at Rs 6.69 crore, and Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant at Hisar at Rs 5.55 crore.
Punjab State Power Corporation Limited's Guru Hargobind Thermal Power Plant at Lehra Mohabbat was assessed at Rs 4.87 crore. Harduaganj Thermal Power Station, run by Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL), drew the smallest amount at Rs 2.74 crore.
The obligation flows from CAQM's Direction No 42, issued on September 17, 2021. It requires thermal plants within a 300 km radius of Delhi to co-fire biomass pellets or briquettes made from paddy straw alongside coal, working towards a 5 percent blend. The threshold set for FY2024-25 was more than 3 percent. Show cause notices went out on December 23, 2025, and the compensation was imposed on April 8, with payment sought by April 15.
The Commission also noted the relaxation in force under Direction No 65, which runs till September 13. It allows industries, hotels, restaurants and other enterprises across NCR, including Delhi, to temporarily use alternate fuels in place of natural gas. The statement attributes the relaxation to what it describes as an extraordinary global energy supply situation arising from the conflict in the Middle East.
Two amendments issued through circulation were placed before the Commission. The amendment to Direction No 98, dated February 20, moves the implementation timeline for revised particulate matter emission standards for industries across Delhi-NCR to October 1.
The second amendment extends Direction No 86, dated January 2, 2025, to other municipal corporations and to bigger cities and towns in NCR.
The meeting cleared Direction No 102, which will restrict new registration of light goods vehicles (LGVs) running on conventional fuels in phases. The Commission cites the vehicular sector's contribution to PM2.5 in Delhi-NCR and what it calls disproportionately high particulate emissions from LGVs.
On the Commission's figures, LGVs make up about 1.2 percent of the active vehicle stock but account for roughly 3.3 percent of particulate emissions from the active fleet.
Restrictions on registering diesel, petrol and CNG N1 LGVs begin in Delhi on January 1, 2027. They extend on July 1, 2027 to the High Vehicle Density districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar. In the remaining NCR districts, the restriction takes effect on January 1, 2028, and covers only diesel and petrol N1 LGVs.
N2 LGVs face a separate sequence, with restrictions starting on January 1, 2028, July 1, 2028 and January 1, 2029.
Direction No 103 folds the dust mitigation measures in the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Environmental Guidelines for Stone Crushing Units, 2023 into the consent-to-operate conditions of stone crushing units in NCR. The aim is tighter control of fugitive dust.
Enforcement is to run on technology-enabled continuous remote monitoring. That includes video surveillance, PM2.5 and PM10 sensors, and wheel washing.
The Commission approved a revised procedure for units seeking to resume operations after a Closure Direction. Applicants must submit corrective and preventive compliance with supporting evidence, along with a notarised affidavit. State pollution control boards and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee are to verify the submission and recover applicable Environmental Compensation at the same time.
CAQM may run independent or random verification through CPCB Flying Squads, with further closure action where non-compliance is found.
As on August 10, closure orders had been issued against 1,816 violating units. Of these, 1,461 cases had been taken up for resumption after compliance, and 126 had been transferred to state boards and the DPCC for further action.
Financial assistance was approved for four research projects recommended by the Project Evaluation and Appraisal Committee under the Call for Proposals 2025-26. The projects cover road dust exposure, mechanical road sweeping technologies, particulate matter profiling and source apportionment in high-rise buildings, and forecasting of rice residue burning. The total sanctioned is Rs 3,25,56,393 over two years.
Stage-I of the Graded Response Action Plan was invoked on May 19 and revoked on May 29, staying in force for 11 days over the review period.
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On greening, 2,53,30,816 plantations of trees, shrubs and bamboo had been achieved as on August 4, against a 2026-27 target of 4,60,54,740. That is about 55 percent of the target. The Commission asked the authorities concerned to meet the targets and to monitor plantation survival.