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India has made the use of biomass pellets mandatory in some coal-fired thermal power plants in a bid to cut air pollution by using agricultural waste that is otherwise burnt by farmers to generate electricity. The decision, announced by the power ministry on 8 October 2021, makes it mandatory for three categories of thermal power plants to use a 5% blend of biomass pellets along with coal. The process causes severe spikes in air pollution from late September which often leads to a thick blanket of smog over northern India. The federal policy will come into force in October 2022, with a requirement to increase the proportion of biomass to 7% within two years for two categories of power plants.