Pushing back the deadlines for adoption of new emission norms – a proposal by the Power Ministry

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Coal – fired power plants are instructed to push the deadline for adoption of new emission norms in a proposal by the Power ministry.

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• The proposal says that “an unworkable time schedule” will put burden on utilities leading to increase in power tariffs.
• Initial deadline was the year 2017 for installing Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) units that cut emissions of toxic sulphur dioxide in thermal power plants to comply with emission standards.
• However the deadline was changed in different regions with the final deadline being 2022.
• No new dates have been decided under the new proposal, although the final decision is o the Supreme Court.
• ‘Graded Action Plan ‘has been proposed by the ministry areas where plants are situated would be graded according to severity of pollution. Region 1 would be considered as critically polluted whereas region 5 would be considered as least polluted.
• The regions which are under grade 1 will have strict emission controls; Region 2 plants can take action one year after those in Region 1. Region 3, 4 and 5 are presently not required to take any plan of action.
• India has some of the world’s most polluted cities because of coal-fired plants that are near to the urban areas. Pollution caused by the vehicles, dust, industry smoke, burning of crops add to the urban pollution making the air quality poor to breathe in.

Flue - Gas Desulphurisation (FGD)

• Flue- Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) is a set of technologies used to remove sulfur dioxide (SO
• from exhaust flue gases of coal-fired power plants, and from the emissions of other sulfur oxide emitting processes such as burning of waste.