(a) whether the Government has recently issued any notification for use of coal with less
than 34 per cent sulphur content in the critically polluted areas in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether it has come to the notice of the Government that this notification is not being
followed in letter and spirit in several areas; and
(d) if so, the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT & FORESTS (SHRI JAIRAM RAMESH)
(a) & (b) The Central Government has published a notification on 19th
September,1997 duly amended in year 1998 and 2001 in respect of ash content in coal to be used
as fuel in coal based thermal power plants (CBTPPs) located in critically polluted areas apart
from other locations. Accordingly, CBTPPs shall use raw or blended or beneficiated coal with
an ash content less than 34 percent on an annual average basis. The notification prescribes
that following CBTPPs shall use beneficiated coal with an ash content not exceeding 34%,
namely;
I) any thermal power plant located beyond 1000 km from pit-head; and
II) any thermal power plant located in urban area or sensitive area or critically polluted
area irrespective of their distance from pit-head except any pit-head power plant.
(c) & (d) As per the recent survey carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
in association with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi in 2009, based on comprehensive
environmental pollution index (CEPI), 43 industrial clusters have been identified as critically
polluted areas (CPAs). There are 21 CBTPPs located in these critically polluted areas, out of
which, 3 power plants at Ghaziabad, Ahmedabad and Tarapur are utilizing beneficiated coal as
per notification. Due to recent inclusion of new industrial clusters in the list of CPAs,
the number of CBTPPs attracted by the notification under reference has increased. The CPCB
has taken up the matter with the Central Electricity authority (CEA) for supply of beneficiated
coal to the remaining 18 power plants located in critically polluted areas.