Cement Energy and Environment

' According to a study by S K Sundaray, on an average, 36 million tonnes of coal is being extracted annually in this belt. Raw water, about 86.26 million cubic metres/annum is drawn from the river for industrial/mining activity. The industrial activity in the Angui– Talcher area is primarily dominated by large scale coal– based super thermal power plants established by NTPC at Kaniha with 3,000 MW, Talcher Thermal Power Station (TIPS) at Talcher with 460MW, and NALCO and its Captive Power Plant (980 MW). Availability of good quality coal has also propelled the establishment of other coal-based iron and steel industries. A report of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage in 2005 mentions that the major part of the area forms the floodplains of river Brahmani and its tributaries - Nandira Jhor, Singhara Jhor, and the Tikra river. The drainage network is controlled by Brahmani. The rivulet, Nandira, which flows centrally from west to east and meets Brahmani near the village Kamalanga, is high polluted, carrying almost all the industrial effluents and also a sizeable load of domestic effluent from industrial townships, located on either sides of the river. The Bangaru nallah originates from Satyabadi Sagar, situated within the lease hold area of Kalinga Open Cast mine project and carries the wastewater of different coal mines of the Mahanadi coalfields, joining Brahamani from the north-west. The Deojhr nallah, flowing into the Nandira rivulet, carries the run-off from the mining areas as well as wastewater from the South Balanda colliery. Major polluting mines and industries have virtually engulfed the Brahmani river and its tributaries, Nandira and Tikira. Consider the consumption of water and discharge of wastewater by major power plants in the Angui-Talcher region, mentioned in the table. Environmental legislations have failed both the environment and the people in this critically– polluted belt of the country. Ranjan K Panda is freelance journalist based in Orissa. Courtesy: TERRAGREEN, Oct.2011, Pp34-37. Environmental Improvement ENVIRONMENT ROADMAP FOR THE FUTURE By R.K. Pachauri, Director General, TERI Development and environmental concerns can be considered and designed in such a way that we can create infrastructure that is in harmony with conserving natural resources and protecting the environment. Unfortunately, people tend to think of protecting the environment as an end-of– pipe option. But if you design a project in a way that you minimise environmental impact, then not only is it cost-effective, but also ensures that there is no conflict between development and environmental protection. Consider this: in hydro projects, you could either establish high dams where there would be submergence of forests or displacement of people. Or, you can think in terms of a series of run of the river projects so that each one of them may not give you 1000 MW capacity, but cumulatively you will be able to attain that level. Buildings are another area for responsible design. If you design buildings properly, you can cut down energy use 40-45 per cent at a minimum, giving comfort to people. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) constructs buildings in such a way that we incorporate features that make sense in ensuring energy efficiency. For this you need regulations, incentives and disincentives by which people move in that direction. Altering mindsets and equipping people with knowledge is another challenge. But for a few, our architects and builders are not really focused on these objectives. We have some Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) certified buildings in India. But, the Leed system is not the most suitable for our conditions. Therefore, we have come up with a new system called Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (Griha) which has actually been adopted by our government. All Central Public Works Department buildings are going to conform to that requirement. Therefore, a building reaching a 3, 4 or 5 star rating, should get a clearly specified level of benefit which could be in the form of taxation being reduced or in some cases, even the FSI being relaxed to provide this as an incentive. So you really need to design fiscal measures, incentives and disincentives to motivate people to go in for energy efficiency. Carbon emissions reduction is something that meets the objective of mitigating climate change, but there are many co– benefits involving local factors 13