The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a conditional stay on the ₹33.02 crore (approximately $4 million USD) penalty imposed on the Talwandi Sabo Thermal Power Plant in Punjab, India. This decision came after the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) penalized the plant for not complying with biomass co-firing regulations. The plant's counsel argued that compliance was hindered by a shortage of torrefied biomass pellets, a claim supported by the Central Electricity Authority. However, the CAQM contended that sufficient biomass was available and that the plant had not utilized it effectively. The NGT acknowledged the need to balance pollution control with practical implementation challenges, allowing a stay on the penalty provided the plant deposits 50% of the amount within six weeks. The case will be revisited on July 27. The CAQM had previously imposed nearly ₹61 crore in penalties on multiple coal-based plants for similar violations of the new environmental rules mandating a 5% blend of biomass pellets with coal.