Is the Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station flouting the Pollution control norms?
30 Sep, 2013
An application filed by an NGO ‘Eco-Pro Organisation’ under the RTI Act has revealed that the Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station (CSTPS) has been violating the norms of pollution control regularly for the last three years. As reported by the Local Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to its joint director, the oldest units, namely units 1 & 2, have been regularly discharging suspended particulate matter (SPM) 383.1mg/Nm3, 642.92mg/Nm3 respectively as against the stipulated standard of 100mg/Nm3 and even way above the specially prescribed limit of 150mg/Nm3 for these two units, on every single monitoring.
The President of Eco-Pro Organisation Bhanu Dhotre has pointed that with the MPCB officers carrying out monitoring only once a month, the possibility of accidental discharge of over 1000mg/Nm3 is very evident. The discharge from both unit 1 and 2 was as high as 2447mg/Nm3 on November 22, 2012. Similarly, discharge from unit No. 2 on January 24, 2012 and May 17, 2012, was recorded 1733mg/Nm3 and 1402mg/Nm3.
As the height of the two Chimneys is just 90 meters as against the mandatory standard of 275 meters, a possibility of dispersal of SPM to nearby Chanderpur city, adversely affecting the health of local populace and biodiversity of the area, especially the growth of the plants and impacting ecological balance.