<p>India's federal pollution regulator has warned 14 coal-fired power plants that they could be shut down and penalized for failing to comply with environmental standards, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.</p>.<p>The power plants, nine of which are around India's polluted capital, New Delhi and five of which are in south Indian states, account for over 7% of India's coal-fired utility capacity.</p>.<p>Shutting the plants could further dent India's thermal coal imports, which fell for three straight months between August and October, according to the latest Indian government data.</p>.<p>India is the world's second largest thermal coal importer behind China, and is a large export market for coal miners in Indonesia, South Africa and the United States.</p>.<p>The move comes as New Delhi and other Indian cities have been struggling with some of the worst global air pollution levels.</p>.<p>In one of the letters dated Jan. 31 to the general manager of the Vedanta Ltd-operated Talwandi Sabo Power plant in the northern state of Punjab, India's Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Chair cited a host of alleged violations.</p>.<p>"Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd is hereby directed to show cause as to why Units 1-3 of the plant should not be closed in view of the non-compliance and environmental compensation be imposed for continuing non-compliace of the directions," CPCB Chairman S.P Parihar said in the letter.</p>.<p>Vedanta said it would respond to the letter with all relevant details and was committed to comply with environmental requirements.</p>.<p>Indian utilities had already won an extension on a December 2017 deadline for power plants to meet emissions standards, after extensive lobbying by the industry.</p>.<p>India's power ministry has asked for another extension for coal-fired power plants around New Delhi.</p>.<p>Only one out of 11 plants around New Delhi - which had an end-2019 deadline - is complying with a law requiring them to install equipment to cut emissions of lung disease-causing sulphur oxides, according to the Central Electricity Authority.</p>.<p>Four plants have awarded bids and six have not awarded bids yet to retrofit the units.</p>.<p>More than half of India's coal-fired power plants ordered to retrofit equipment to curb sulphur oxide emissions are set to miss deadlines.</p>
<p>India's federal pollution regulator has warned 14 coal-fired power plants that they could be shut down and penalized for failing to comply with environmental standards, according to documents reviewed by Reuters.</p>.<p>The power plants, nine of which are around India's polluted capital, New Delhi and five of which are in south Indian states, account for over 7% of India's coal-fired utility capacity.</p>.<p>Shutting the plants could further dent India's thermal coal imports, which fell for three straight months between August and October, according to the latest Indian government data.</p>.<p>India is the world's second largest thermal coal importer behind China, and is a large export market for coal miners in Indonesia, South Africa and the United States.</p>.<p>The move comes as New Delhi and other Indian cities have been struggling with some of the worst global air pollution levels.</p>.<p>In one of the letters dated Jan. 31 to the general manager of the Vedanta Ltd-operated Talwandi Sabo Power plant in the northern state of Punjab, India's Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Chair cited a host of alleged violations.</p>.<p>"Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd is hereby directed to show cause as to why Units 1-3 of the plant should not be closed in view of the non-compliance and environmental compensation be imposed for continuing non-compliace of the directions," CPCB Chairman S.P Parihar said in the letter.</p>.<p>Vedanta said it would respond to the letter with all relevant details and was committed to comply with environmental requirements.</p>.<p>Indian utilities had already won an extension on a December 2017 deadline for power plants to meet emissions standards, after extensive lobbying by the industry.</p>.<p>India's power ministry has asked for another extension for coal-fired power plants around New Delhi.</p>.<p>Only one out of 11 plants around New Delhi - which had an end-2019 deadline - is complying with a law requiring them to install equipment to cut emissions of lung disease-causing sulphur oxides, according to the Central Electricity Authority.</p>.<p>Four plants have awarded bids and six have not awarded bids yet to retrofit the units.</p>.<p>More than half of India's coal-fired power plants ordered to retrofit equipment to curb sulphur oxide emissions are set to miss deadlines.</p>