NEW DELHI: Around 25 thermal power plants have been found to be not complying with ash pond effluent limit, government today told the Lok Sabha.
Enviornment Minister Prakash Javadekar also said in a written reply in the House that there was no proposal to revise or amend existing norms for thermal power plants for air and water pollution.
He also said that there were four power plants against which complaints were recieved regarding water pollution during 2012-14.
According to details furnished in the Lok Sabha, big thermal power plants like Korba, NTPC Chhattissgarh, Kolaghat Thermal Power Station, West Bengal, Tenughat Thermal Power station in Jharkhand, Talcher of NTPC in Odisha amongst others were found to be non-compliant with ash pond effluent limit.
Coal-based thermal power plants may pollute nearby water bodies like rivers and reservoirs if adequate settling is not provided for treatment of effluent from ash ponds, the Lok Sabha was told.
Javadekar said that directions under section 5 of Environment Protection Act 1986 has been issued to most of these thermal power plants.
Similarly, complaints were recieved of Paricha thermal power plant Jhansi, Rihand Thermal Power plant NTPC, Wardha Thermal Power company in Chandrapur and Busawal thermal power plant in Jaigaon regarding water pollution during 2012-14.
Elaborating on steps taken to control pollution from thermal power plants, Javadekar said that stricter emission limited has been prescribed for new power plants to be located in critically polluted, urban and ecologically sensitive areas.
Other measures include imposing installation of flue gas desulphurisation system for control of SO2 emission, mandatory use of flyash so as to achieve 100 per cent flash utilisation within 5 years, mandatory use of beneficiated coal in plants located beyond 1000 kms from pit head amongst others.