The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued directions to 16 thermal power plants to comply with new emission norms according to their committed time frames, the government has said.
Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma, in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha recently, said that 19 units of 16 plants have been commissioned after January 2017.
Out of 19 units, two units have installed Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) or Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustion (CFBC) to comply with Sulphur dioxide (SO2) emission norms.
"For remaining 17 units, time lines have been stipulated by the environment ministry based on commitment received from the power ministry to comply with new emission norms with respect to Particulate Matter (PM), SO2 and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx).
"CPCB has issued directions under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to all these units to comply with new emission norms as per committed time lines," he said.
He was asked whether 16 new thermal power plants installed post January 2017 have failed to adhere to new air pollution norms notified in December 2015.
He said that considering the power ministry's proposal for additional water requirement for FGD to control SO2 emission limit for thermal power plants (TPPs), the ministry has issued draft notification dated October 16, 2017 revising water consumption limit from 2.5 M3 /MW to 3.0 M3/MW for the plants commissioned after January 2017.
"In order to control emissions of PM, SO2 and NOx emission, TPPs are required to install pollution mitigation equipments such as electrostatic precipitator, FGD and selective catalytic reduction respectively.
"These pollution mitigation equipments in TPPs are required to reduce emission of PM10, SO2 and NOx, which in turn will help in improvement in Ambient Air Quality, which is a major concern," he said.
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