Climate Changed
India’s Deadly, Dirty Addiction to Cheap Coal Is Getting Worse
A rush to alleviate poverty and build infrastructure has sidelined efforts to clear the air and combat climate change.
A woman holds her granddaughter on a terrace overlooking the now shut coal-fired NTPC Ltd. Badarpur Thermal Power Station in Badarpur, Delhi.
Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg
Scientists agree that coal is choking the planet—so why is it so hard for governments to ditch? This is the second in a three-part series. Read part one.
When the massive coal-fired power plant next door to her home in New Delhi was firing at full blast, Bala Devi would pull her saree tight against her face to try and protect her lungs.