Give sops to cleaner power plants: CSE

NEW DELHI: With 65% of India’s coal-fired thermal power plants yet to make significant progress to meet environmental norms by the deadline of 2022, it has become imperative to review and restrategise to push the sector towards implementation. A new analysis by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has said that a new system of preferential treatment for cleaner plants and deterrence mechanisms for the laggards have to be brought into effect urgently to meet the deadline.
During the webinar titled “Meeting emission norms: Working paper on penalty and incentive mechanisms for coal-based power plants”, four CSE reports were released on Wednesday.
CSE reports state that this sector accounts for 80% of mercury, 45% of sulphur dioxide and 30% of nitrogen oxide emissions from all industries. “Its water use equals half of India’s total domestic water needs. The fly ash generation has jumped up 70% between 2009-10 and 2018-19. The sector also accounts for one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions.”