With new thermal
power plants coming up in the Malwa region, residents of the area are
bound to witness the air pollution level further going up as more than
80,000 tonnes of coal would be burnt every day to generate
electricity. While two thermal plants here are functional, four others
in the private and public sector have been sanctioned by the state
government.
The government had
last year formulated the Power Generation Policy to transform Punjab
from a power-deficit to a power-surplus state and to facilitate
thermal power plants in the private sector.
Residents of the
main town of Bathinda are already crying due to the high level of air
pollution being caused by the 440-MW Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP)
for the past 36 years. Although engineers of the Punjab State Power
Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) claim that the smoke emission of the plant was
within the prescribed limits, people take this claim with a pinch of
salt. The record available with the local office of the Punjab
Pollution Control Board (PPCB) indicates that the Unit IV was a major
source of pollution as the emission level of suspended particulate
matter (SPM) from the outlet path A and B varied between 260 and 280
mg/Nm3 against the permissible level of 150.
The PPCB does not
regularly keep a tab on the pollution level of the thermal plant. The
data of stack emission samples was taken by the PPCB on June 23 when
the emission level of the other three units was also slightly on the
higher side. The Unit III is currently shut down due to its ongoing
up-gradation work.
About 6,500 tonnes
of coal is burnt everyday when all the four units of the GNDTP are
functional.
During his visit
here some time ago, Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said even the latest
pollution control system in the thermal power plants was not capable
of completely controlling pollution.
The Guru Hargobind
Thermal Plant (GHTP) at Lehra Mohabbat near here was burning about
12,000 tonnes of coal everyday to generate 920 MW of electricity. The
1,980-MW thermal power project being set up by the Vedanta group at
Banawali would consume 30,000 tonnes of coal everyday. Its first unit
will be commissioned next year.
