NEW DELHI: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has recently directed the implementation of the entire ‘Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) for Air Pollution Control in Delhi and NCR’ under Section 5 of the environment protection act. This plan mandates, among other things, closure of the Badarpur thermal power plant by mid-2018, restoration of the 600ha fly ash pond at Badarpur, and enforcement of air pollution control measures in all industries, including those located in unauthorised colonies. The Union environment ministry had notified parts of the plan in March but left out important action points because there was no agreement on timelines for their implementation. The interventions that were left out included tightening pollution under control (PUC) norms, on-board diagnostic systems in vehicles, enforcement of air pollution control norms in all industries and permanent closure of the Badarpur plant. An official of the Badarpur plant said it had been proposed to be shut down by July but “we have no communication from the environment ministry or CPCB yet”. As the Tughlakabad sub-station hasn’t been commissioned yet, the Badarpur plant is being run based on requirement, he added. According to IIT-Kanpur’s 2015 source apportionment study, industrial stack emissions are responsible for 11% of PM2.5 emissions in the winter. “CAP is a legally binding document. If its elements are implemented soon, it will help in winter,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment.