The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has proposed that coal-fired power plants across the country install air pollution control equipment in phases, with their immediate installation required only in areas with high levels of sulphur dioxide (SO2), a by-product of the burning of fossil fuels and a major respiratory irritant.
Other thermal power plants, located in areas where S02 levels are under control, can defer the installation of such equipment, the CEA said in a new report, which comes just two years before the deadline set by the environment ministry for all coal-fired power plants to meet safe emission norms.
Deferring the installation of air pollution control equipment can lead to delays in reducing air pollution concentrations across the country, according to experts.
