Cement, Energy and Environment

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT & FORESTS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3234 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18/3/2013 Carbon Tax 3234. Shri Jayaram Pangi: Will the Minister of Environment and Forests be pleased to state: (a) Whether the Economic Survey, 2013 has warned that the carbon taxes will lead to heavy GOP losses; (b) If so, the details thereof; (c) The steps taken/ being taken by the Government in this regard? Answer Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests (Shrimati Jayanthi Natarajan) (a) & (b) As per the Economic survey 2012-13, use of policy tools including environment– related taxes shou ld be based , inter alia, on consideration of its repercussions on other sectors of the economy. The survey quotes preliminary modeling studies which indicate that a modest revenue– neutral economy-wide carbon tax of US $10 per ton of Green House Gas (CHG) emissions in India could result in a Gross Domestic Product (GOP) loss of around US $ 632 billion at 2005 prices. (c) The Twelfth Five Year Plan document outlines a strategy for promoting low carbon sustainable growth through appropriate policies and actions . ********** GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3304 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2013 Pollution by Power Plants 3304. Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh: (a) Whether the Government has taken cognizance of the pollution caused by thermal power plant of Sonbhadra of U.P. due to which the water of the rivers of that area has become contaminated; (b) If so, the details thereof; and (c) The corrective steps taken by the Government in this regard? Answer Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests (Shrimathi Jayanthi Natarajan) (a) & (b) There are six Thermal Power Plants in District Sonbhadra of Uttar Pradesh, which are (i) Shakti nagar Thermal Power Plant of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), (ii) Rihand Thermal Power Plant, NTPC, (iii) Anpara A & B Thermal Power Plant, Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadam Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL), (iv) Obra Thermal Power Plant, UPRVUNL (v) Anpara C Thermal PowerPiant of M/s Lanco Power and (vi) Renusagar Power Plant of M/s Hindalco Industries. Out of these six Therma l Power Plants, only Obra Thermal Power Plant of UPRVUNL is discharging effluent in to river Renuka while other five plants discharge their effluent (cooling water and ash pond effluent) in to Rihand reservoir. The Cenral Pollution Control Boa rd (CPCB) has issued directions under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to Obra Thermal Power Plant of UPRVUNL to provide Ash Pond Water Recycling system (AWRS) for improving the effluent quality. Further, the CPCB is monitoring water quality of Rihand river at two locations in Sonbhadra District. All Parameters such as pH, Temperature, Conductivity, Nitrate + Nitrite Nitrogen, Fecal Coliform and total Coliforms are meeting the desire water quality criteria at both the locations except two parameters i.e. Dissolved Oxygen and Biochemical Oxygen Demand. Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT AND (c) These Thermal Power Plants are located in District Sonbhadra, U.P. which comes under Singrauli area. The Singrauli area FORESTS be pleased to state: 48 ,.