Greenpeace warned on Wednesday that delays in imposing new emission control notification to check pollution and cut water intake in coal-based thermal power plants will affect people's health.
The environmental group quoted Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal as saying that the deadline to reduce emissions and upgrade technology in the power plants may take time.
In December 2015, the Union Environment Ministry issued new emission notification to reduce and control the particulate, sulphur and nitrogen-based emissions.
The notification was aimed at reducing the air pollution and water consumption in thermal power plants.
The deadline to apply the notification is December 2017.
"There's no data in the public domain on the progress made so far in upgrading the technology of the coal based power plants in India... No one knows what's going on," Sunil Dahiya, Campaigner, Climate and and Energy, Greenpeace India, told IANS.
According to official figures, 78 per cent of India's power generation comes from 146 coal based power plants. The power generation by coal in India is 192 GW against an installed capacity of 324 GW.
"The daily consumer power demand in India is about 150 GW, which means that power generation from the coal based power plants is more that the total consumption and demand," Dahiya added.
The Environment Ministry has denied the possibility of quantification of deaths caused in India due to air pollution.
--IANS
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