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Time of India
14-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Chandigarh's waste-to-energy plant in limbo, MHA puts civic body in hot seat
Chandigarh: Amid prolonged delays in setting up Chandigarh's waste-to-energy plant in Daddumajra, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) has stepped in to review the project's status. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The MHA has summoned the municipal corporation to present a detailed update during a high-level meeting on July 18. Apart from Chandigarh, representatives from other union territories will also be present during the meeting. The Chandigarh MC will present a detailed PowerPoint presentation (PPT) before the additional secretary of the MHA, informing him about the status of the project in the city. The order of the MHA reads: "A meeting under the chairmanship of additional secretary (UT) is scheduled to be held on July 18 in North Block, to discuss the status of waste-to-energy plants in the UT. It is requested to nominate the concerned officer, who is well-versed. It is requested to present a brief PPT on the issue during the meeting." The MHA has intervened at a critical time, as the MC has failed to set up the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) plant despite over two years of planning. The delay stems from various technical, financial, and administrative hurdles. Initially, the MC had planned to establish a 550 Tons Per Day (TPD) compressed biogas (CBG) plant in consultation with IIT Ropar and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur. The project aimed to generate energy over a 17-year period — including two years for construction and 15 years of operation and maintenance. According to records, the MC first received a bid of Rs 4,900 per TPD, which was later negotiated down to Rs 3,700, translating to an annual cost of Rs 75 crore and a 15-year total of Rs 1,125 crore. However, during the monthly General House meeting, the project was rejected by members due to high costs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now They instead officials to explore more cost-effective alternatives, especially waste-to-energy technologies. As a result, all the work and planning carried out over the last two years was rendered futile, and the ISWM project was reset to square one. Box: WHY THE DELAY? or What's Holding the Project Back? - MC planned 550 TPD Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant with IIT Ropar and NEERI - Initial bid of Rs 4,900 per TPD, later negotiated to ₹3,700 per TPD - Total cost estimated at Rs 1,125 crore for 15 years - Project rejected by General House due to high cost - Officials directed to explore cheaper waste-to-energy options - Entire two-year planning effort rendered futile; project reset Box: Projection of garbage generation in the city Year | Population (in lakhs) | Waste generated 2021 | 11.79 | 534 TPD 2026 | 12.43 | 584 TPD 2031 | 13.07 | 614 TPD 2041 | 14.39 | 677 TPD 2051 | 15.75 | 740 TPD Earlier this year, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change had granted environmental clearance (EC) for the project. Comprehensive assessments were conducted by NEERI, covering soil, air, water, and potential impacts on wildlife. The agency also addressed requirements such as access roads, water and power availability, and public health facilities to ensure the project met all EC criteria. MSID:: 122449503 413 |
The Hindu
13-07-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Studies misused to justify SO2 rollback, independent report warned ahead of govt exemption
Before India significantly relaxed sulphur dioxide (SO2) emission control norms exempting a large number of coal-fired power plants, an independent analysis had warned that key scientific studies being cited to justify the move were riddled with contradictions and risked undermining public health. The deadly impact of air pollution In an analysis released last month, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) alleged that studies by institutions such as NEERI, NIAS and IIT Delhi were being "selectively used to justify inaction" by power plants across the country, which continue to delay the installation of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) units to control SO2 emissions -- a major air pollutant. India established stringent sulphur dioxide emission standards for coal-based power plants in December 2015, requiring compliance within two years. Even after multiple extensions, 92 per cent of coal-fired power plants have not yet installed flue gas desulphurization units to control SO2 emissions, a major air pollutant that converts into fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and causes a range of diseases. In a notification dated July 11, the environment ministry again extended the SO2 compliance deadline for coal-based power plants located within 10 km of the National Capital Region or cities with over one million population from December 2024 to December 2027. Plants in critically polluted or non-attainment areas will now be assessed on a case-by-case basis, while those located elsewhere have been fully exempted, provided they meet stack height criteria. Of around 600 thermal power units in India, 462 are Category C units and 72 are Category B units. The ministry cited "many studies" as one of the reasons for this move, along with techno-economic concerns, COVID-related delays and a recommendation from the Ministry of Power. SO2 ambient levels and FGDs CREA's report, titled "From scientific evidence to excuses", countered this reasoning and said: "What is worse, studies by institutions like NEERI, NIAS, and IIT Delhi (2022 and 2024) are now being selectively used to justify this inaction, citing low SO2 levels or small CO2 increases to argue that FGDs are unnecessary. These arguments simply don't hold up." CREA said NEERI's assertion that ambient SO2 levels are already low is "highly misleading". "The air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) do not capture the real impact of power plant pollution because they do not track whether emissions drift upwind or downwind and they certainly do not account for chemical reactions that convert SO2 into other pollutants like PM2.5. Just because the station reading is low ambient SO2 does not mean the plant is not polluting," the report said. It said that SO2 emission norms and the requirement to install FGDs are based on stack emissions, not on ambient SO2 levels. "Using low ambient readings to argue against FGD is not just scientifically wrong, it completely misleads how pollution control works". Ironically, CREA noted, the NEERI report being used to question the utility of FGDs had itself acknowledged, "if a flue gas desulfurization technique is installed to reduce sulphur emissions from thermal power stations, it will reduce a part of it, and the overall reduction in ambient air PM will be at most 20 micrograms per cubic metre." CREA said that this would translate to a 20 per cent reduction in cities where PM2.5 levels are around 100-120 micrograms per cubic metre. Similarly, the 2022 IIT Delhi report concluded that "with the implementation of FGD in the Vindhyachal TPP, we can expect to see a decrease in the monthly mean surface concentrations of sulfate aerosols in the range of 10-15 per cent of the climatological values at certain places as far as 100 km from the location of this TPP". The IIT Delhi report added: "Significant decreases in sulfate aerosol concentrations are also observed as far as 200 km from the TPP". CREA noted that despite these findings, a 2024 IIT Delhi report narrowed its scope to six cities and recommended halting FGD rollout in plants that have yet to adopt it. Health and environment impacts The analysis also highlighted that "coal-fired power plants led to 47,000 deaths in 2014; 62,000 deaths in 2017 and 78,000 deaths in 2018", and warned that "it is very likely that the health impacts would be much worse than what is being estimated now" as India plans to add 80-100 GW of new coal-fired capacity. A NIAS report previously estimated that full FGD implementation would add "approximately 23 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030, which is just 0.9 per cent of India's total CO2 emissions in 2020". CREA said it is comparable to "the output of a single coal-based power plant with over 3 GW capacity". The analysis added that "the irony lies in the fact that while this marginal CO2 increase by FGD is criticised, plans to build an additional 80 to 100 GW of coal capacity, which would result in far greater CO2 emissions, are not questioned with the same urgency". On the claim that FGD installations cause prolonged shutdowns, CREA said: "NTPC RTI data shows that most FGDs were fitted during regular maintenance, with no additional shutdown period." NTPC, it added, had already installed FGDs in plants with 20 GW capacity and had another 47 GW under construction. CREA said the latest studies by IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay confirmed that "power plants are a leading cause of India's air pollution", contributing up to 12 per cent of PM2.5 during winter and 16 per cent of cross-boundary urban pollution. It added that this level of contribution is "on par with the vehicle sector, where the country went through a national initiative to switch to BSVI many years before". "Since emissions from coal-fired power plants have long-range impacts, affecting air quality at the national level, FGD installation should be mandatory across India, regardless of plant location," the research organisation said. FGDs are a critical, life-saving tool that India should have deployed years ago. Every delay means "more lives lost, more children breathing toxic air, and more communities suffering from preventable disease", it cautioned.
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Business Standard
13-07-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
Independent report flagged misuse of studies before SO2 rollback nod
Before India significantly relaxed sulphur dioxide (SO2) emission control norms exempting a large number of coal-fired power plants, an independent analysis had warned that key scientific studies being cited to justify the move were riddled with contradictions and risked undermining public health. In an analysis released last month, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) alleged that studies by institutions such as NEERI, NIAS and IIT Delhi were being "selectively used to justify inaction" by power plants across the country, which continue to delay the installation of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) units to control SO2?? emissions -- a major air pollutant. India established stringent sulphur dioxide emission standards for coal-based power plants in December 2015, requiring compliance within two years. Even after multiple extensions, 92 per cent of coal-fired power plants have not yet installed flue gas desulphurization units to control SO2 emissions, a major air pollutant that converts into fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and causes a range of diseases. In a notification dated July 11, the environment ministry again extended the SO2 compliance deadline for coal-based power plants located within 10 km of the National Capital Region or cities with over one million population from December 2024 to December 2027. Plants in critically polluted or non-attainment areas will now be assessed on a case-by-case basis, while those located elsewhere have been fully exempted, provided they meet stack height criteria. Of around 600 thermal power units in India, 462 are Category C units and 72 are Category B units. The ministry cited "many studies" as one of the reasons for this move, along with techno-economic concerns, COVID-related delays and a recommendation from the Ministry of Power. CREA's report, titled "From scientific evidence to excuses", countered this reasoning and said: "What is worse, studies by institutions like NEERI, NIAS, and IIT Delhi (2022 and 2024) are now being selectively used to justify this inaction, citing low SO2 levels or small CO2 increases to argue that FGDs are unnecessary. These arguments simply don't hold up." CREA said NEERI's assertion that ambient SO2 levels are already low is "highly misleading". "The air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) do not capture the real impact of power plant pollution because they do not track whether emissions drift upwind or downwind and they certainly do not account for chemical reactions that convert SO2 into other pollutants like PM2.5. Just because the station reading is low ambient SO2 does not mean the plant is not polluting," the report said. It said that SO2 emission norms and the requirement to install FGDs are based on stack emissions, not on ambient SO2 levels. "Using low ambient readings to argue against FGD is not just scientifically wrong, it completely misleads how pollution control works". Ironically, CREA noted, the NEERI report being used to question the utility of FGDs had itself acknowledged, "if a flue gas desulfurization technique is installed to reduce sulphur emissions from thermal power stations, it will reduce a part of it, and the overall reduction in ambient air PM will be at most 20 micrograms per cubic metre." CREA said that this would translate to a 20 per cent reduction in cities where PM2.5 levels are around 100-120 micrograms per cubic metre. Similarly, the 2022 IIT Delhi report concluded that "with the implementation of FGD in the Vindhyachal TPP, we can expect to see a decrease in the monthly mean surface concentrations of sulfate aerosols in the range of 10-15 per cent of the climatological values at certain places as far as 100 km from the location of this TPP". The IIT Delhi report added: "Significant decreases in sulfate aerosol concentrations are also observed as far as 200 km from the TPP". CREA noted that despite these findings, a 2024 IIT Delhi report narrowed its scope to six cities and recommended halting FGD rollout in plants that have yet to adopt it. The analysis also highlighted that "coal-fired power plants led to 47,000 deaths in 2014; 62,000 deaths in 2017 and 78,000 deaths in 2018", and warned that "it is very likely that the health impacts would be much worse than what is being estimated now" as India plans to add 80-100 GW of new coal-fired capacity. A NIAS report previously estimated that full FGD implementation would add "approximately 23 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030, which is just 0.9 per cent of India's total CO2 emissions in 2020". CREA said it is comparable to "the output of a single coal-based power plant with over 3 GW capacity". The analysis added that "the irony lies in the fact that while this marginal CO2 increase by FGD is criticised, plans to build an additional 80 to 100 GW of coal capacity, which would result in far greater CO2 emissions, are not questioned with the same urgency". On the claim that FGD installations cause prolonged shutdowns, CREA said: "NTPC RTI data shows that most FGDs were fitted during regular maintenance, with no additional shutdown period." NTPC, it added, had already installed FGDs in plants with 20 GW capacity and had another 47 GW under construction. CREA said the latest studies by IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay confirmed that "power plants are a leading cause of India's air pollution", contributing up to 12 per cent of PM2.5 during winter and 16 per cent of cross-boundary urban pollution. It added that this level of contribution is "on par with the vehicle sector, where the country went through a national initiative to switch to BSVI many years before". "Since emissions from coal-fired power plants have long-range impacts, affecting air quality at the national level, FGD installation should be mandatory across India, regardless of plant location," the research organization said. FGDs are a critical, life-saving tool that India should have deployed years ago. Every delay means "more lives lost, more children breathing toxic air, and more communities suffering from preventable disease", it cautioned. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Neeri invites innovators to develop AI powered environmental solutions for Sustainovate 2025
Nagpur: The CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) is harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and innovation to address critical environmental challenges through its open innovation challenge, Sustainovate 2025. Aimed at fostering eco-entrepreneurship, the initiative seeks science-based, scalable solutions with a focus on AI-driven environmental applications, nature-based solutions, and sustainability-driven technologies. Open to diverse sectors, Sustainovate 2025 promotes interdisciplinary collaboration to drive sustainability. Dr S. Venkata Mohan, Director of CSIR-NEERI, emphasized the goal of the initiative: "Sustainovate 2025 is designed to catalyse science-led innovation, bridging research and societal application. We aim to empower young minds, startups, and grassroots innovators with mentorship and strategic support to address critical environmental challenges." The challenge is open to a wide range of participants, including UG/PG/PhD students (through faculty mentors), startups, SMEs, early-stage entrepreneurs, and NGOs/CSOs, who can submit novel proposals across ten innovation themes. The strong emphasis on AI and nature-based approaches reflects the need for cutting-edge, holistic solutions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Jolie-Pitt Family Shows Support For Shiloh's Change Drivepedia Undo Participants will benefit from a rigorous peer-review process, access to technical resources, and industry linkages. Top performers will be awarded a Certificate of Excellence, receive mentorship from Neeri, and gain opportunities to connect with investors and industry leaders. The initiative aims to help innovators turn their concepts into viable, scalable solutions with expert guidance. Dr Venkata Mohan added that the initiative has already received an encouraging response from across sectors and urged more participants to apply. The last date for submissions is June 30, and further details are available on the NEERI website.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Pollutants order changes post Covid pandemic: Cooking, industry emissions on PM2.5 rogue list
1 2 3 4 Kolkata: On the occasion of World Environment Day, the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) released a comprehensive report revealing how Kolkata's air pollution sources had significantly shifted in the years following Covid-19 pandemic. The analysis, drawing on two landmark studies — NEERI's pre-pandemic source apportionment study (2019) and TERI's recent post-pandemic study (2025) — shows a perceptible change in sectoral contribution to two key pollutants: PM10 and PM2.5. Significantly, only these two pollutants breach the national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS). Earlier, releasing the report, Bengal environment minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, WBPCB chairman Kalyan Rudra, additional chief secretary of the environment department Roshni Sen, former VC of Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) Ajay Roy, and WBPCB member secretary J P Meena emphasised how plastic pollution plays havoc with our lives and biodiversity. WBPCB chairman Kalyan Rudra declared an award for students for collecting and responsible disposal of plastic wastes through its network of 5,000-plus schools in Bengal. According to the findings, coarse particulate matter (PM10) in the city saw a decrease in dust-related emissions, from a dominant 57.3% in 2019 to 43% in 2025, suggesting possible improvements in street cleaning and construction regulation. However, this was offset by rising contributions from household cooking (from 13.3% to 18%), industry (5.9% to 12%), and vehicular tailpipe emissions (8% to 13%). Notably, refuse burning and secondary sources, which were negligible in 2019, emerged as more prominent contributors in 2025. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which poses graver health risks due to its ability to penetrate deep into the lungs, now sees an increased contribution from industrial emissions (7% to 21%) and cooking (27.9% to 29%). Dust emissions halved (from 24.7% to 12%), while secondary aerosols — a complex mixture formed through chemical reactions involving vehicle, industrial, and power plant emissions — came into sharp focus, now accounting for 13% of PM2.5. This rise suggests a growing influence of chemical pollutants in the city's atmosphere. The report also notes that while policies such as the introduction of BSVI vehicles and the uptake of electric mobility helped reduce PM2.5 from tailpipes (23.5% to 20%), older vehicle fleets continue to be significant emitters of PM10.
