Not only PPCB, govt too ‘sought’ relief for units

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 9

It has come to light that not only the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), but also the state government had recommended to the Centre to “extend the deadline” for installing pollution control devices in all thermal power plants in the state and save them from closure.

A letter by the Additional Chief Secretary (Power) dated November 27, 2019, to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) chairman confirms this. The CPCB had asked thermal plants in the state to instal the fuel gas desulphurisation (FGD) system, which would have cut down emission of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter (PM) and mercury.

The deadline to install the FGD system was December 2017. But it was later extended by two years to December 2019, but none of the four plants, including the private ones, met the deadline.

The four plants are in Rajpura, Talwandi Sabo, Lehra Mohabbat and Ropar.

The CPCB had said the plants not meeting the deadline would be shut down.

The letter, a copy of which is with The Tribune, states, “The thermal power plants have informed that it is not feasible to instal the FGD system within the stipulated timeline as 30 to 36 months will be required for it. Apart from financial loss to the state, the shutdown of the thermal power plants will create a power crisis and bring economic development of the state to a grinding halt.”

“It is requested that the matter may be taken up with Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the CPCB and other authorities concerned for extending the timeline for installing the FGD in the thermal plants located in Punjab to December 31, 2022,” the letter states.

The government asked for exemption for the Ropar plant from installing the FGD keeping in view of the “very low plant load factor (PLF) and the remaining age (five to six years only) of the units”.

State Congress president Sunil Jakhar, who has been raising voice against the high power tariff, said it was surprising for him that the government was pleading the case of private thermal power plants without “arm-twisting them to lower the tariff”.

Power sector experts say “exorbitant” fixed charges charged by private plants are high and their closure will save the government Rs5,000 crore in two years.