The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has pulled up 14 thermal power plants

Key Facts

• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has pulled up 14 thermal power plants for not complying with a December 31, 2019 deadline to limit sulfur dioxide emissions.
• These are 5 plants in Haryana, 3 in Punjab, 2 in Uttar Pradesh, 2 in Andhra Pradesh, 2 in Telangana and 1 in Tamil Nadu with a total capacity of approx 15 GW that have missed the deadline.
• To limit particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide emission from thermal plants, India put in place a phased­approach that directs 440 coal­fired units responsible for about 166,000 MW of power to put in place measures to limit pollution by December 2022.
• However, 11 plants in a 300 km radius of Delhi were to comply by December 31, 2019, because of the poor air quality in the city as well as the surrounding Gangetic plain.
• Some of them claimed to have set in place the process for acquiring flu­gas desulphurization technology whereas others said they were yet to award tenders. Only one of these plants has actually implemented technology to limit emissions.

About CPCB

• The CPCB has the power to impose steep fines or shut a unit under the provisions of the Environment Protection Act. As per Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) estimates, these norms can help reduce PM emissions by about 35%, nitrogen oxide emissions by about 70%, and sulfur dioxide emissions by more than 85% by 2026­27 against a business­as­usual scenario with no pollution control technologies.

Source: The Hindu