The Union Environment Ministry has amended these norms now.
It had notified the emission norms for particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen in 2015.
These had to be complied with by power stations in 2017.
It now allows thermal power plants within 10 kilometres of the National Capital Region (NCR) and in cities with more than 10 lakh population to comply with new emission norms by the end of 2022
Major pollutants from coal-fired power plants are oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM).
TPPs account for more than 60 per cent of total industrial emissions of particulate matter; 45 per cent of SO2; 30 per cent of NOx; and more than 80 per cent of mercury, in the country.
These are also responsible for 70 per cent of the total freshwater withdrawal by all industries.