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CAQM Biomass Co-Firing Mandate Delivers Record Air Quality Gains in Delhi-NCR

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has credited its biomass co-firing mandate for record air quality improvements in Delhi-NCR and nearby states. Introduced in 2021, the rule requires thermal power plants (TPPs) to blend 5–10% biomass with coal. Initially applied to 11 NCR plants, it has expanded nationwide, with 71 TPPs now co-firing biomass, avoiding 34.77 lakh MT CO? emissions (NCR plants: 25.79 lakh MT).

Delhi’s air quality has shown measurable improvement — the Jan–Sep 2023 average AQI was 167 (second-best in six years), and July 2025 marked the cleanest July in a decade (AQI: 79). PM?? levels are down 15% since 2017–18, and early 2025 saw GRAP Stage III restrictions lifted.

Biomass pellet use in TPPs nearly doubled from 11.7 lakh MT (FY24) to 21.49 lakh MT (mid-FY26), supported by CAQM incentives for pellet manufacturing. Stubble burning dropped sharply: Punjab fire counts fell 80% from 2021 to 2024, and Haryana saw similar declines.

CAQM is also extending biomass fuel use to brick kilns in Punjab and Haryana, targeting 50% co-firing by 2028, alongside broader pollution controls in industry, construction, and transport. Its integrated strategy is now seen as a national model for clean energy and green jobs.