1 week Ago By Chiranjeevi Kulkarni
Bengaluru: Several studies strongly recommend the installation of Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems at thermal plants to reduce sulphur-di-oxide (SO2) emissions. But Central ministers continue to debate the need for FGD systems, although 64 per cent of the coal plants in India have been found violating emission standards. .
A pollutant gas, SO2 has major implications for health due to the adverse impact it has on the respiratory system. Although it has a shorter lifespan than carbon-di-oxide, reactions involving SO2 result in the production of sulphates that account for a significant chunk of hazardous pollutants such as PM 2.5.
.Given that burning coal releases large amounts of SO2, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change introduced rules to control these emissions by installing FGD systems. Although the deadline for installation was initially set for 2017, it has been postponed four times, to accommodate concerns of the energy industries.
.Air pollution breached safety limits by 20 times in Karnataka's mining areas.The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) noted that, of the 537 coal-fired power plants in the country, only 44 (8%) have installed FGD systems.
“Among the 493 units without FGDs, 380 (77%) were exceeding the prescribed (emission) limits, 59 (12%) were found complying with emission norms, while data was not available for the remaining 54 units (11%),” analysis by CREA found. .Analysis by the CREA cited two studies, one each from IIT-Delhi and IIT-Bombay, to drive home the need for FGDs.
Their study comes amid reports that the Prime Minister’s Scientific Advisor has commissioned another study that advises doing away with the rule mandating installation of FGDs for all thermal plants except those using coal with high sulphur content..CREA’s findings also warn against prioritising industry concerns over public health.
CREA’s study showed that 44 thermal plants required to meet the most stringent limit of 100 microgram/cubic metre averaged 1068 microgram/cubic metre, 10 times more than the allowed SO2 limit. Similarly, 156 plants under the 200 microgram/cubic metre standard averaged 996 microgram/cubic metre, nearly five times the permissible limit..
“It’s important to note that FGD installation is not just a necessity in already polluted regions.. Even in areas where current pollution levels may appear moderate, emissions from thermal plants contribute to the regional pollution load.
Therefore, FGD implementation should be made mandatory irrespective of geography,” the study said. .The study noted that stringent penalties have been imposed on farmers burning agricultural residue but emissions in the thermal power sector continue unchecked due to regulatory leniency and delays in enforcement.
.“Considering the secondary pollution load, transboundary pollution and health implications of SO2, the government should make all plants install the FGDs at the earliest,” Manojkumar N, analyst at CREA, told DH..
