Centre exempts 78% of thermal plants from installing key anti-polluting systems, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• Only 11% of India’s 600 TPP units (Category A) are now mandated to install Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) systems. 
• Category B units (11%) may or may not be required to install FGDs, depending on local pollution levels.
• 78% of plants (Category C) have been fully exempted from the FGD installation mandate.
• FGDs are designed to remove SO₂ from flue gases, preventing formation of secondary particulate matter.
• The exemptions follow recommendations by an expert committee led by the Principal Scientific Adviser.
• The decision comes amid ongoing concerns over transboundary pollution and public health impacts.

Detailed Insights:

• Flue gas desulphurisation systems were mandated in 2015 to cut industrial SO₂ emissions, with multiple deadline extensions since then.
• The new exemption applies to plants located away from major cities or critically polluted areas, but experts argue that SO₂ disperses over long distances.
• SO₂ contributes to PM2.5 formation, linked to lung diseases, asthma, and cardiovascular illnesses.
• Using tall chimneys as an alternative to FGDs is ineffective as it disperses pollutants higher but doesn't eliminate them.
• Power plants account for over 50% of India's industrial SO₂ emissions; this move may derail India’s clean air goals under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
• Environmentalists argue this policy prioritizes energy cost efficiency over public health and environmental safety.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD): A technology that removes sulphur dioxide (SO₂) from exhaust gases of fossil-fuel-based plants using lime or limestone scrubbing.
• Sulphur Dioxide (SO₂): A harmful gas that contributes to acid rain, PM2.5 formation, and respiratory illnesses.
• Transboundary Pollution: Pollution that originates in one region but can travel long distances, affecting neighbouring regions.
• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): India’s flagship programme to reduce PM2.5 and PM10 levels in cities.