GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1941
TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2015
Pollution caused by thermal power plants
1941. SHRIMATI VANDANA CHAVAN:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a)
whether the National Green Tribunal has taken note of the alarming pollution caused by
thermal power plants in Vidharbha region using inferior quality coal in violation of
Ministry’s norms;
(b)
whether Government is monitoring the thermal power plant for usage of better quality
coal, clean coal technology and control of pollution;
(c)
the steps taken by Government to control the pollution caused by the thermal plants in
the country; and
(d)
whether Government has conducted/will conduct any study on the rising temperature,
health fatalities like increasing respiratory and other ailments and environmental
degradation resulting from thermal plants?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
A petition in the matter of Ratandeep Rangari Vs State of Maharshtra (Application No.
19/2014) regarding implementation of provisions of notification on use & supply of beneficiated
coal not containing ash- content more than 34% in thermal power plants is pending before the
Hon’ble NGT, Pune Bench.
(a)
The Ministry has advised all coal based thermal power plants to strictly comply with the
provisions of the notification and submit the data on ash content of the coal used by them to the
Regional offices of the Ministry, State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) concerned and Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on quarterly basis.
(b)
The steps taken by the Government to control pollution caused by the thermal power
plants in the country include:(i)
notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards and source emission
(particulate matter) and effluent standards for control of air & water pollution;
(ii)
publishing revised draft environmental norms to reduce gaseous emission and water
withdrawal;
(iii)
making mandatory beneficiated coal not containing ash more than 34% for the power
plants located beyond 750 km from pit head;
(iv)
making fly ash utilization mandatory since September 14, 1999 in order to mitigate
problems related to fly ash disposal;
(v)
promotion of clean technologies like Super Critical & Fluidized Bed Combustion
boilers which are more efficient and generate low emission compared to conventional
pulverized fired sub- critical technology;
(vi)
issuing directions to power plants to install on-line emission and effluent quality
monitoring systems;
(vii)
issuing directions by CPCB in respect of Thermal Power Plants found violating the
emission/effluent quality standards.
(c)
CPCB has not conducted any specific study on rising temperature, health fatalities and
other ailments due to pollution from thermal power plants.
(d)
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