An analysis of 37 coal plant units within a radius of 300 km of Delhi-NCR has found that 20 of them are emitting sulfur dioxide above the safe limits set by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and that the single biggest source of that pollution comes from plants the Centre has explicitly exempted from installing flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems, a vital industrial pollution control technology. The study, released Monday by the Finland‑based nonprofit Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), warns that exemptions granted to Category C plants — that form nearly four‑fifths of India’s coal fleet — are now directly responsible for the bulk of unchecked emissions drifting into the Capital’s air. With over six million tonnes of sulfur dioxide released annually, India’s emissions from its power plants already stand higher than any other country on earth, according to the report. In 2015, India gave its coal power plants two years to install the technology to cut sulfur dioxide emissions. Ten years, four deadline extensions, and one major …