After the FGD technology is implemented, the power plants have the potential to decrease their emissions by as much as 83 percent, which would lower their yearly output to only eight kilotonnes, six kilotonnes, and seven kilotonnes individually.

"Thermal plants emit 281 kilotonnes of SO2 each year, compared to 17.8 kilotonnes from stubble burning," the report said. However, while stubble burning is not a significant contributor to SO2 , it does release greater quantities of particulate matter (PM2.5) and carbon dioxide (CO2), the study added.

The study also examined the difference in effects between thermal power plant emissions and stubble burning, revealing that the yearly SO2 emissions from NCR's thermal plants are 16 times greater than the emissions from burning 8.9 million tonnes of paddy straw.

The government had ordered all coal-fired thermal power plants in the NCR to implement FGD technology by 2017 to reduce SO2 emissions. Nevertheless, the sluggish speed of execution has sparked worries regarding the efficacy of these regulations.

Delhi's air quality deteriorated even more, reaching an AQI of 441, which now ranks it as the second most polluted city in the country. At 4 pm every day, the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) hit 441, staying at that level for 24 hours. The Air Quality Index reached 417 on Saturday.