Moving to tighten norms for emissions of major pollutants by
coal-based power plants in the country, the environment ministry has proposed a
fresh standard for old and new units seeking them to substantially cut down
release of health-damaging particulate matter (PM). Since the impact of
pollution from coal-based power generation is known to be disproportionately
high, the ministry also proposed to add dangerous sulphur dioxide, nitrogen
oxide and mercury in the list of pollutants which need to be cut by both new as
well as existing thermal power plants.