HYDERABAD: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) served show-cause notices on eight units of three thermal plants with an installed capacity of 2,120 MW for their failure to comply with the new emission norms by the specified time lines.
All these units are now liable for penal action including closure of plants and imposition of environmental compensation.
In reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Minister of State (Independent charge) for Power RK Singh said that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified new environmental norms for particulate matter, sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), water consumption and mercury, for thermal power plants ) on December 7, 2015.
In order to ensure uninterrupted power supply in the country, a phased implementation plan for installation of Flue Gas De-Sulphurization (FGD) in plants for a capacity of 1,61,402 MW and upgradation of electrostatic precipitator in plants for a capacity of 64,525 MW was prepared by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and was submitted to the Union forest ministry on October 13, 2017.
Accordingly, the CPCB issued directions to thermal plants informing them that those plants which fail to comply with new emission norms are liable for penal action including closure of the plant and compensation. Plants which did not follow environmental provisions were given show cause notices this January.