I wonder if Indian government is keeping eye on the critical issues when approving the coal plants. We don't want to create hotspots and more health problems specially when the healt care system is in ever catching-up stage. It is easier to reduce the emissions during the design phase then after few decades when the situation is already out of hand.
I doubt if government even has the data to link the mortalities or other health issues with air pollution from coal fired generation.
Should we wait for the establishment of the link between these emissions and the health impact to Indian population, or be proactive and adopt technology and build state-of-the-art, modern, well-equipped power plants?
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There is now fairly widespread knowledge about TPP emissions particularly Mercury. The excuse though is the need for power, as pointed out in the thread of discussions already. So the issue is two-pronged and needs a two-prong strategy - this requires time and effort and perhaps even capacity
1. Clean coal, technology intervention in coal washeries and reduction of sulphur and mercury content - A change in the quality of raw material has to be matched by a certain degree of pressure on reduction of flyash generation. The flyash notification ensures that most of the flyash gets used in the construction industry...so in a way more flyash means more beneficial for construction. This vicious cycle needs to be tackled.
2. Need for sector specific EIAs - Currently EIAs are made for individual projects and thats what the EIA notification also espouses. This has to be changed to addressing the total thermal power sector. what is the demand for power, so how many plants are required, what is the carrying capacity and resource stock and environmental sensitivity levels needed. With all of this cumulatively assessed one need not fall into the trap of agreeing to the MoEF's compromise formulas of allowing development as an excuse for not being green and let this sector's development proceed unbridled.
3. Who can do this Sectoral EIAs, do we have capacity in India etc are the third most significant set of issues.
This is pathetic. Companies are blatantly ignoring the human cost under the disguise of provinding power to emerging India. I just can't comprehend the responses by these companies in meeting the emissions limits. Aren't they required to meet approval limits? I guess, the problem is implementation of the regulatory limits. Nobody cares! I mean no env. enforcement officer bother to check if the limits are met or not.
We need two different solutions: one that is short term, which means to force the industry to deploy technology to minimize the environmental pollution, and second, for long term, is to think about a sustainable and environmentally friendly power generation.
I liked the idea of capital stock turnover by phasing out the existing polluting plants and replacing them with new ones. But if the plants are relativelly new, the companies should not make that an excuse to not installing emissions controlling technology. I would suggest if the plant is 35 years or older, they should shut down and if they are younger than that, they must install technology to capture emissions. And, a heavy penalty if they don't do that.
Yes, we feel that Govt is not aware of, pollutants, or does not even bother about it even when brought to their notice.
Guardian of UK probably was firsrst to report Mercury around TPP in Panjab. But not much had happened then, though some of our friends tried their best to impress MoEF Minister Dr J Ramesh.
At Dahanu, after about 6 years of SC's verdict to install FGD, the Relience installed one, but the unit broke down within an year, but they did not repair it.
UPCL at Padubidri boasts of latest ESP and FGD costing them more than Rs. 300 crores, but they do not seem to be working and people around the area are already up in arms, and forcing UPCL to clse down.
So what is the way out ?
There are other problems, Coal shortage, cost, transport, pollution, death, and so on, our group feels that there should not be any new Coal TPPs, and the existing ones should be phased out, and concentrate on medium and small Solar and other power generating systems.
Ashok