Power house flouts norms

In what could be considered a piquant situation for the state government, the state’s power generating entity, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO)’s three thermal power production units have openly flouted Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) norms, resulting in the environment being affected, even as government cracks down on private industries with an iron hand. 

The power major has four thermal power units - Thoothukudi Thermal Power Station (TTPS), Mettur Thermal Power Station (MTPS), North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS) and Ennore Thermal Power Station (ETPS) with a combined output of 4, 660 MW. As thermal plants come under the ‘Red’ category of highly polluting industries, they need continuous monitoring regarding adherence to the central government’s Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981, The Environment Protection Act 1986, Noise Pollution (Regulations and Controls) Rules 2000 and Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and Trans -boundary Management) Rules 2008, all enforced through the state and central pollution control boards. 

An audit of three thermal power stations (except ETPS) in 2015-16 revealed startling findings. SPM (suspended particulate matter) levels at stack and carbon emission levels remained high, as clean coal was not used, resulting in station heat rate being higher than prescribed levels. Over 69.58 million tonnes ash remained in the ash dyke in the three power plants which was against the central government’s MoEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) guidelines for phasing out ash accumulation. The plants polluted sea and river water as they lacked Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP) and Sewage Treatment Plants (STP). 

Also, green belt areas to control pollution were not undertaken. Hazardous waste management was not in keeping with TNPCB requirements and TANGEDCO spent a mere Rs.61.91 crore on environment management, out of the Rs.625.93 crore earned through ash disposal, the remaining being utilised for the corporation’s general expenditure, in violation of MoEFCC norms.