Cement Energy and Environment

. . . .·- ENVI-~ONMENT PROTECTION & RESOURCE MANAGEMENT . 1 Pollution Control POLLUTION AT ITS PEAK (C/ SE Or 1'-J... P,-) In the first ever major crackdown on pollution in June this year, the Orissa State Pollution Control Board slammed a shut down notice on four out of the six thermal power plants of the National Thermal Power Corporation operating at Kaniha in the Angul district of the state. Board officials call this historic. However, pollution levels in the district continue to rise unabated. Clearly, much more needs to be done, reports Ranjan K Panda. Ever since the thermal power plants, operated by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), with a total capacity of generating 3,000 MW of power, through six units of 500 MW each, have existed in Kaniha, Angul district, people have complained about the pollution levels increasing in the locality. The local people have also agitated and the administration and police have had to spend restless days pacifying them. However, finally, the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OPCB) dared to lend a blow to four of the plants. "This plant has been in operation since 1984 and we have always warned them about the pollution levels and problems with the fly ash ponds. When nothing worked, we slammed this notice," says Anupam Behera, regional manager with the OPCB. "I can term this as historic as this js the first major crackdown on any polluting industry," says he. "This is an old plant, established in 1984, when the standards of running electro– static precipitators (ESPs) were not established. In 1991 , when the standards were introduced, we asked NTPC to adhere to these. Meanwhile, the standards have made more stringent. The emission limits were initially fixed at 250, then reduced to 150 and 100. The limit is now fixed at 50. Being a government organization, we have time and again provided advisory inputs to NTPC as well and have offered our help. However, finally, when we saw they were not doing much, we had to service the closu re notice," informs Behera. The Board conducted thorough monitoring of the pollution by the plants as well as the ash disposal ponds, for the last two years. The OPCB had earlier issued notices concerning non– compliances for discharge of wastewater, flu gas emissions, ambient air quality, and disposal of ash by NTPC under Water (PCP) Act, 1974 and Air (PCP) Act, 1981. Behera further confirmed that the capacity of coal-settling pits to treat wastewater and runoff water of the Coal Handling Plant (CHP) has not yet been increased, as a result of which wastewater is being released into the nearby river Tikira. "Even though NTPC has initiated construction of the third coal settling pit, it is yet to be completed," he informed. "NTPC has made an appeal to us and has committed that compliance measures would be taken, but going by history, we have decided to order the plant to be 'kept in abeyance' till end of August. They are taking some measures like ammonia dozing, but we will check again before the plant is given permission to run again". says Behera. He also informed that the Board has issued closure notice to four out of the total six power– generating units at Talcher Super Thermal Power Station (TSTPS). The four units belong to NTPC's Stage II operation, in which each unit generates 500 MW of thermal power annually. The TSTPS runs six units with a combined thermal power generation capacity of 3,000 MW per annum. The Board has also taken action with regard to the pollution problems posed by the ash ponds. "Four ash ponds were created to dump fly ash being generated from the burning of coal. In the month of . May, an ash pond at Kaniha had developed a crack. Subsequently, we carried out an inspection and found severe leakages", informed Behera. Communities however, say that there is a chance of breaching of this ash pond anytime and that they are awaiting disaster. They allege leakages are already polluting the area and would pollute the nearby river as well. "A sword is hanging over our heads and we are in a state of panic. The ash pond may breach anytime," says Sudhakara Pradhan of Kaniha village. 'We have already lost our crops as the water leaking from ash pond is engulfing our crop fields", he complains. "The pipes carrying ash water also leak and the water falls into the Tikira polluting it severely," rue the villagers. Company officials, when contacted, did not want to comment, but said they are doing all that they could to maintain low levels of pollution. Meanwhile, NTPC officials have knocked the Chief Minister's 11