Latest news with #CriticallyPollutedAreas
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Environment Ministry defends new coal-plant norms as ‘cost effective, climate coherent'
The Ministry of Environment and Forests said in a note on Monday (July 14, 2025) that its recent decision to exempt a majority of thermal power plants from installing flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) units was a 'scientifically justified shift towards more targeted, cost-effective and climate-coherent regulation' and not a rollback of environmental safeguards. FGD units are used to cut sulphur dioxide emissions from coal plants and in 2015, the Ministry had made the systems mandatory for all thermal plants. However, only 8% of India's roughly 180 coal plants have done so. The other plants have received multiple extensions from the Ministry for reasons such as limited availability of these units and high cost. The latest order, however, says only a minority of plants – 22% -- located in major cities with a history of poor air quality need to install these units. The revised policy, its note says, reflects India's '...declining ambient sulphur dioxide levels, the limited role of sulphur dioxide levels in driving PM2.5 health impacts and... the disproportionate resource and environmental costs of indiscriminate FGD mandates'. The Ministry's note was in response to 'media reports'. According to the Ministry, India's annual sulphur dioxide concentration standard of 50 microgram/cubic metre is more stringent than Japan (66), European Union (52.4) and Australia (66). A 2023 measurement in 492 cities, the Ministry said, found that all but two -- Dehradun and Kolar – were compliant. Indian coal was naturally low in sulphur (0.5% of weight) but had high ash content and therefore led to low sulphur dioxide concentrations. Studies had shown that cities with thermal power plants that have FGD technology and those without FGD technology didn't show any 'significant difference' in sulphur dioxide concentrations, it said. 'Eliminating all sulphur dioxide emissions would only result in a marginal improvement of particulate matter concentrations... At ₹1.2 crore per MW [megawatt], the capital expense of installing FGD would be ₹2.54 lakh crore and would only bring about a marginal benefit,' it said. Under new rules, only about 11% of India's 600 thermal power units – a single plant can have multiple units – have to mandatorily install FGD systems. These plants, called 'Category A' units, are located within a 10-km radius of the National Capital Region or cities with a population of at least one million (2011 Census). Originally, these plants were to have FGD systems in place by 2017 but have been given multiple extensions. The latest – as per a gazette notification this week – is December 30, 2027. Another 11% of units, falling under Category B, located within 10-km radius of Critically Polluted Areas (CPAs) or Non-Attainment Cities (NACs) may or may not have to install FGD systems. This would depend upon a decision by an Expert Appraisal Committee, an existing body constituted by the Ministry to decide on according environment clearance to proposed coal plant projects. Those that must install FGD systems have a deadline of December 30, 2028. CPAs are regions or industrial clusters that are extremely polluted and deemed so according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) criteria. NACs are those that have the worst air quality and haven't met National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for at least five years, and there are 131 of these. The remaining 'Category C' thermal power plants, or 78% of the total plants, are now exempt from installing FGD systems.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Environment ministry justifies tweak in sulphur dioxide emission norms for TPPs, calling it a pragmatic shift
Environment ministry justifies tweak in sulphur dioxide emission norms for TPPs. NEW DELHI: Three days after exempting majority of the coal- and lignite-based thermal power plants (TPPs) in India from installing key anti-pollution equipment that could have helped them meet the sulphur dioxide standards, the Union environment ministry on Monday sought to justify its move saying the current exposure levels provide no credible evidence to suggest that SO₂, under prevailing ambient conditions, is a major public health concern. It said any revision to SO2 standards must be driven by its actual contribution to PM2.5 levels and its corresponding health burden. Flagging a detailed study carried out by IIT Delhi, the ministry said the analysis shows that sulfate contributes only 0.96% to 5.21% of PM2.5 and 0.57% to 3.67% of PM10 in cities near TPPs (Thermal Power Plants). 'The norms of SO2 emissions from TPPs, notified on July 11, is based on extensive consultations with stakeholders and research institutions regarding the effectiveness and rationale behind stack emission standards for SO2 on 537 TPPs throughout the country, and its role in overall ambient air pollution of the region,' said the ministry in a statement. It said the ministry's decision represents a rational, evidence-based recalibration anchored in current ambient air quality data, sectoral emission trends, and broader sustainability imperatives. "The revised SO2 emission policy is not a rollback of environmental safeguards, but a pragmatic, scientifically justified shift towards more targeted, cost-effective, and climate-coherent regulation," it said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo The ministry on July 11 issued a revised notification on installing anti-pollution flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems and introduced a new compliance framework based on categories exemptions. The FGD is a process of removing sulphur compounds from the exhaust emissions of fossil-fueled power stations. The notification mandates control of SO2 emissions from TPPs in all Category A TPPs located within 10 km of the Delhi-NCR or cities with million-plus population. So far, 17 FGDs have been installed in such cities. Exemptions are, however, meant for TPPs located within 10 km of Critically Polluted Areas (CPAs) or Non-Attainment Cities (Category B). It will be the government's discretion to decide exemption of such plants. The remaining TPPs in the rest of the cities, which fall under Category C (make up the bulk of India's TPPs), will be fully exempted from installing the FGDs provided they meet the prescribed stack height criteria by December 31, 2029. Justifying the exemptions, the ministry said it was based on detailed scientific studies which were carried out by premier institutions such as IIT Delhi, National Institute of Advanced Studies as well as by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) besides scientific examination by Central Pollution Control Board. Claiming that the ministry remains fully committed to a comprehensive, science-based air quality management strategy that integrates both mitigation and co-benefit pathways, it said its latest move reflects declining ambient SO2 levels, recognizes the limited role of SO2 in driving PM2.5 health impacts, and "weighs the disproportionate resource and environmental costs of indiscriminate FGD mandates".
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Majority of the coal-based TPPs spared from installing anti-pollution flue gas desulphurization systems
NEW DELHI: In a move that may spare majority of the coal- and lignite-based thermal power plants (TPPs) in the country from installing anti-pollution flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems, the environment ministry has issued a revised notification regarding Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂) emission standards for such plants and introduced a new compliance framework based on categories exemptions, penalties, and extensions. All these power plants were earlier expected to install FGD equipment to meet the SO2 standards by the previous deadline but many of them failed to do it. The FGD is a process of removing sulphur compounds from the exhaust emissions of fossil-fueled power stations. The TPPs that do not retire by December 31, 2030 and fail to meet pollution standards (especially for Sulphur Dioxide) within their respective deadlines will have to pay a penalty called environmental compensation. Their compliance deadlines have already been extended four times since 2017. Though there will not be any exemption for existing and under-construction TPPs within 10 km of the air pollution hotspot, the national capital region (NCR), or cities with 1 million plus population (Category A cities, comprising 11% of total 600 of plants in the country) under the revised notification, it will be the government's discretion to decide exemption of another 11% such plants located within 10 km of Critically Polluted Areas (CPAs) or Non-Attainment Cities (Category B) beyond the NCR. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 이 게임은 대부분의 TV 프로그램보다 더 재미있어요 – 게다가 무료예요. Raid: Shadow Legends 플레이하기 Undo The remaining TPPs (78% of the total) in the rest of the cities which fall under Category C will be fully exempted from adhering to the anti-pollution norms relating to the Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂) emission standards. "The revised notification weakens India's clean air ambitions by diluting or removing SO₂ norms for Category B and C thermal power plants, which together represent most of the country's coal capacity. Together, these exemptions threaten to derail progress on industrial air pollution control, compromise public health, and reduce the effectiveness of India's environmental regulations," said Nivit Kumar Yadav, director, industrial pollution team of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). The CSE analysis shows that the exempting all Category C plants from SO₂ norms simply based on location ignores cumulative pollution, especially in areas like Singrauli or Korba which are not "officially" CPAs but are severely impacted. Notably, more than 75% of India's thermal power capacity—amounting to approximately 166,885.5 MW—falls under Category C. "Granting such a large-scale exemption undermines the effectiveness of the emission standards and poses a serious risk to public health and environmental sustainability," said Yadav. The notification, issued on Saturday, came six months after the ministry gave the TPPs a fourth extension by stretching the timeline by three more years to install pollution control equipment. Giving relief to defaulters, the ministry had in Januaryextended the deadline for TPP located within 10 km radius of the NCR or cities having million plus population from Dec 31, 2024 to Dec 31, 2027. Under the revised notification, if a thermal power plant plans to retire before December 31, 2030, then it does not have to meet the SO₂ emission standards but only if the plant officially submits an undertaking to both Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Central Electricity Authority (CEA) stating that the plant will be retired by 31st December 2030. Pointing at loopholes of the revised notification, the CSE in its analysis noted that allowing Sulphur Dioxide compliance for Category B thermal power plants to be decided on a "case-by-case" basis creates a major regulatory loophole. "This ambiguous and subjective approach introduces inconsistency, delays, and a lack of accountability in enforcement. Instead of providing clarity, it fosters regulatory uncertainty for operators. For a pollutant as critical as SO₂, whose health impacts are well-documented, such discretion dilutes the integrity of environmental regulation and undermines the core objective of emission standards," said Yadav. Referring to repeated extension of deadlines, he said, "Allowing the central government to grant more extensions based on CPCB advice may further delay actual pollution control. Past experience shows timelines are repeatedly extended."
