Off target: status of thermal power stations in Delhi NCR
Coal has about 57 per cent share (around 197 GW) in the total installed capacity in India; but nearly 70 per cent of electricity (977 TWh, 2017- 18) in the country still comes from coal power plants. Coal-based thermal power industry is highly polluting- it is responsible for 60 per cent of industrial sector’s PM emissions (when one includes coal mining), 45 per cent of SO2 emissions, 30 per cent of NOx emissions and 80 per cent of mercury emissions. In terms of water usage, the thermal power sector is estimated to be using about 24 billion cubic meters annually, which is about half of India’s total domestic needs.