The struggle to phase out coal in Delhi NCR

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Editor's note: Sitting in a chai shop in Panipat, a group of people animatedly discuss how the city’s textile industry is on its knees. They speak of the back-to-back blows they’ve suffered the last few years: demonetization, COVID-19 lockdowns and the war in Europe. If that wasn’t enough, the ban on the use of coal as fuel from 30 September has shut down most factories. “I had 150 labourers working under me,” says Nanhe Master, a supervisor at a local factory. “Today, I can barely retain 9-10.” “We’re losing lakhs every day,” says Suman Jha, a factory owner. “If this continues, we’ll be ruined.” One man has been patiently listening in for the past few minutes. “They’re all running,” he says suddenly. “Nothing’s happening here.” There’s a moment of silence. I notice the chimneys in the background, sending up grey smoke that eventually meets the rainclouds. A few goods trucks are grunting around us. Someone in the crowd laughs. The factories are running because it’s the weekend, they say. No one expects the state’s pollution control inspectors to show up. But they’re …