GS-3
1.SULFUR DIOXIDE EMISSION NORMS DELAYED
The Ministry of Power has proposed pushing back the deadlines for adoption of new emission norms by coal-fired power plants, stating “an unworkable time schedule” would burden utilities and lead to an increase in power tariffs.
- India initially had set a 2017 deadline for thermal power plants to comply with emissions standards for installing Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) units that cut emissions of toxic sulphur dioxide.
- This was later changed to varying deadlines for different regions, ending in 2022.
FLUE GAS DESULPHURISATION (FED):
- Removal of Sulfur Dioxide is called as Flue-gas Desulphurization (FGD).
- It seeks to remove gaseous pollutants viz.
- SO2 from exhaust flue gases generated in furnaces, boilers, and other industrial processes due to thermal processing, treatment, and combustion.
PROPOSAL OF THE MINISTRY OF POWER:
- It has proposed a “graded action plan,” whereby areas where plants are located would be graded according to the severity of pollution, with Region 1 referring to critically polluted areas, and Region 5 being the least polluted.
- Strict control of emissions shall be required in such key areas for thermal power stations categorised under Region 1.
- Plants in Region 2 could begin to take action one year after those in Region 1.
- Presently no action is required for power plants that are situated under Region 3, 4 & 5.
- According to the Ministry, the target should be to maintain uniform ambient air quality across the country and not uniform emission norms for thermal power plants.
- This could avoid immediate increase in power price in various relatively clean areas of the country (and) avoid unnecessary burden on power utilities/consumers.
SOURCE:
- The largest source of SO2 in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels by power plants and other industrial facilities.
Smaller sources of so2 emissions include:
- industrial processes such as extracting metal from ore;
- Natural sources such as volcanoes;
- And locomotives, ships and other vehicles and heavy equipment that burn fuel with a high sulfur content.
IMPACT:
- SO2 can affect both health and the environment.
- Short-term exposures to SO2 can harm the human respiratory system and make breathing difficult.
- People with asthma, particularly children, are sensitive to these effects of SO2.
- SO2 emissions that lead to high concentrations of SO2 in the air generally also lead to the formation of other sulfur oxides (SOx).
- SOx can react with other compounds in the atmosphere to form small particles. These particles contribute to particulate matter (PM)pollution.
- Small particles may penetrate deeply into the lungs and in sufficient quantities can contribute to health problems.
INDIA’S CASE:
- India’s sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions recorded a significant decline of approximately 6% in 2019 compared to 2018, the steepest drop in four years, according to a report from Greenpeace India and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
- However, India remained the largest emitter of SO2.
- In 2015, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) introduced Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) emission limits for coal power stations.
- Air Quality sub-index has been evolved for eight pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb) for which short-term (upto 24-hours) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed
SOURCE: PIB