NEW DELHI: The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has failed to check the continuous non-compliance of emission norms by Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, said the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its audit report presented in Parliament on Wednesday.
The CAG pointed out that it noticed that the APPCB has failed to check RINL’s continuous non-compliance of the norms stipulated by regulatory authorities with reference to emissions, flaring of gases, installation of equipment, generation of hazardous waste in excess of authorisation, etc, and take necessary action during various inspections at the plant.
Audit noticed higher levels of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), PM10 (Airborne particulate matter, a mixture of many chemical species) emissions compared to sustainability plan targets and norms.
There were excess fugitive and charging emissions from coke oven batteries.
“RINL did not rebuild its older coke oven batteries as required under Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environment Protection, 2003. Emissions data from Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems was not reliable due to non-upgradation of obsolete Online Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems,” the CAG report stated.
Specific energy consumption in the plant and overall fuel consumption rate in blast furnaces were in excess of the targets stipulated in RINL’s Sustainability Plan, leading to the release of excessive greenhouse gases.
On the water pollution front also, effluents discharged by RINL plants were in excess as per the norms stipulated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Further, the usage of high ash content boiler coal in thermal power plants led to the generation of higher quantities of fly ash.
“There has been an accumulation of blast furnace/steel melting shop slags, leading to air and land pollution,” the report stated.