‘CSTPS not following environment norms, polluting atmosphere’

 

 

 

Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station (CSTPS) is not following the environment norms and causing pollution in Chandrapur and nearby areas, revealed Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) in their joint committee report, recently. National Green Tribunal (NGT) had constituted a joint committee comprising of CPCB and MPCB on the case between Madusudan and State of Maharashtra and Others last year. NGT directed “..latest status of compliance of environmental norms by thermal plants in question..”. In reply, the committee submitted the report to NGT recently which got uploaded on the NGT website on March 5. CSTPS is a unit of Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Ltd. (MAHAGENCO), Government of Maharashtra undertaking company.

 

The plant is located at Urjanagar, 10 km from Chandrapur city which currently generates 2920 MW electricity in its seven units. The joint committee, during its visit, carried out source emission monitoring and found that the Sulphur di-oxide (SO2) level were in extremely higher side. The particulate matter (PM) is also above the permissible limit. The committee observed that CSTPS uses coal having higher sulphur content than that mentioned in the Consolidated Consent and Authorisation (CCA). CSTPS installed meteorological and four Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) to monitor air quality in the plant. According to the committee, the ambient air quality found exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM10 at all monitoring locations and PM2.5 are also exceeding at couple of places. CSTPS has generated 37.25 lakh MT of ash during April-December 2020 in which 11.17 lakh MT was bottom ash and 26.07 lakh MT was dry fly ash.

 

Only 5.24 lakh MT dry fly ash was utilised by cement factories and other purposes. However, the utilisation of dry fly ash is reduced last year as compare to 2018 and 2019. The committee suggested that the plant need to take more efforts to mitigate dust emission from various activities. Also, the committee found that CSTPS has not achieved 100 per cent fly ash utilisation as per the condition of CCA. Huge quantum of fly ash found dumped in the ash bund.

 

The committee also suggested to prepare action plan for 100 per cent utilisation of present fly ash generation and plan for legacy ash dumped in the ash bund. “We have submitted the report to NGT and the hearing is on March 9. I will comment on this matter after the hearing only,” said A M Kare, Regional Officer, MPCB, Nagpur, while talking to The Hitavada. Suresh Chopane, Member, Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and President of Green Planet Society, said, “State Government should scrap all 20 years and above thermal plants in the State or modernise them as per the environment norms. Such plants generate lot of pollution which is harming the atmosphere.”