NOTE4STUDENTS

This article explores the environmental costs of coal mining, India’s SO₂ emission norms, and the repeated delays in compliance. UPSC focuses on the development vs. environment debate. Questions often ask aspirants to discuss the inevitability of coal mining despite its environmental impact. They test understanding of policies, challenges, and solutions. The key is to present a balanced argument with facts. Many aspirants struggle with linking policies with real-world implications. They memorize laws but fail to connect them with economic and health impacts. Another common mistake is writing one-sided answers—either only criticizing coal mining or only defending it. A nuanced approach is essential. This article provides a structured breakdown of India’s SO₂ emission norms, challenges, and solutions. It explains why compliance delays occur and their consequences. The Back2Basics: Environmental Burden of Thermal Power section is a game-changer. It simplifies complex data and policies, making it easier to recall in exams. It also provides state-wise insights, helping you to add depth to their answers.

PYQ ANCHORING

GS 1: In spite of adverse environmental impact, coal mining is still inevitable for devel opment.” Discuss. [2017]

MICROTHEMES: Primary Sector

India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) recently amended the Environment Protection Rules, granting thermal power plants an additional three years to comply with sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emission norms.

Origins and Evolution of SO₂ Emission Norms

India’s emission standards for thermal power plants underwent significant changes in December 2015, when the MoEFCC introduced stricter environmental regulations.

Key Features of the 2015 Norms

1. New SO₂ Limits – For the first time, specific norms were introduced to regulate SO₂ emissions from power plants.
2. Stricter Pollution Controls – The revised standards aligned with international best practices, similar to those in Australia, China, and the United States.
3. Compliance Deadline – Initially, plants were required to meet the new norms by December 2017. However, due to infrastructure and technological challenges, this timeline was deemed unrealistic, leading to multiple deadline extensions.

With the latest amendment, power plants now have until 2026 to implement the necessary changes to curb SO₂ emissions.

Challenges in Implementing SO₂ Emission Norms

Despite the introduction of stricter SO₂ emission norms for thermal power plants, compliance has faced multiple hurdles, leading to repeated deadline extensions.

1. Assumption of Low-Sulphur Coal
   • India’s coal naturally has low sulphur content, which should have made emission control easier.
   • However, instead of leveraging this advantage, the focus shifted entirely to flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) as the primary solution.
2. Cost and Supply Chain Constraints
   • High Costs – Installing FGD technology is expensive, making compliance financially challenging for many power plants.
   • Supply Chain Issues – Limited availability of necessary equipment and skilled professionals has further slowed down implementation.
3. Narrowed Policy Approach
   • Instead of considering multiple emission control methods tailored to India’s needs, discussions largely revolved around FGD technology’s cost and logistical challenges.
   • This lack of flexibility ignored alternative, cost-effective solutions that could have been better suited to India’s energy sector.

These challenges highlight the need for a more holistic and adaptable strategy to ensure effective pollution control without compromising energy security.

REASONS FOR THE DELAY

Economic and Public Health Costs of Delay in SO₂ Compliance

1. Rising Costs for Electricity Consumers

• Cost Pass-Through Mechanism: Regulators allow thermal power plants to pass the cost of installing Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) systems onto electricity consumers.
• Unjustified Consumer Costs: Even after installing FGDs, some plants do not use them due to high operating expenses. As a result, consumers pay for pollution control measures that are not effectively implemented, while air quality continues to decline.

2. Slow Progress in FGD Implementation

• Current Status:
  • 22 GW of thermal power plants have installed FGDs.
  • 102 GW (almost half of India’s total thermal capacity) is in advanced stages of FGD installation.
• Revised Compliance Deadline: The deadline for meeting SO₂ emission norms has been pushed to December 31, 2027. Given past trends, further extensions are likely.

3. Environmental Impact of Delayed Compliance

• Pollution from Thermal Power Plants: These plants are a major source of SO₂ emissions, which significantly degrade air quality.
• Formation of Secondary Aerosols: SO₂ reacts with other pollutants to form fine particulate matter (PM2.5), worsening pollution and health risks.

4. Public Health Crisis Due to SO₂ Emissions

• Increased Risk of Respiratory and Heart Diseases: Long-term SO₂ exposure is linked to asthma, bronchitis, lung infections, heart disease, stroke, and premature deaths.
• Disproportionate Impact on Vulnerable Groups:
  • Children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions suffer the most from air pollution-related illnesses.
  • Many affected power plants are located near densely populated urban areas, exacerbating public health risks.

Delays in SO₂ compliance not only harm the environment but also burden consumers financially and create severe public health risks, especially for vulnerable populations.

Way Forward

1. Strict and Non-Negotiable Deadlines: The government must enforce final, non-extendable deadlines for SO₂ compliance, ensuring that thermal power plants complete FGD installations within a fixed timeframe.
2. Independent Monitoring and Transparency: Establish an independent regulatory body to publicly track and disclose FGD installation progress and SO₂ emission levels. This will hold power plants accountable and prevent further delays.
3. Targeted Financial Support for Power Producers: Introduce low-interest loans or subsidies for plants struggling with FGD installation costs, ensuring compliance without overburdening electricity consumers.
4. Diversified Emission Control Strategies: Promote alternative SO₂ reduction technologies, such as low-sulphur coal usage and advanced combustion techniques, instead of relying solely on FGDs. This will enhance flexibility in emission control.
5. Health and Environmental Impact-Based Tariff Reforms: Reform electricity tariffs to penalize non-compliant power plants while incentivizing cleaner alternatives. A portion of the revenue should be allocated to public health programs in pollution-affected areas.

#BACK2BASICS: ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN OF THERMAL POWER

India still depends heavily on thermal power, especially coal, to meet its energy needs. While this ensures a stable electricity supply, it also comes with major environmental challenges.

1. Heavy Dependence on Coal – India has vast coal reserves (378.21 billion tonnes as of April 2023), with Odisha alone holding nearly 25% of them. Around 59% of the country’s total energy comes from coal.
2. Coal’s Role in Power Generation – In 2022-23, about 73% of India’s electricity came from fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, making coal the backbone of power production.
3. High Carbon Emissions – Thermal power plants release enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. In 2022, India’s electricity sector emitted over 20,794 kg of carbon per unit, worsening climate change.
4. Environmental Hotspots – States with high thermal power production face severe pollution, affecting air, water, and soil quality. These regions bear the brunt of emissions, making it essential to rethink energy policies for a sustainable future.

Electricity Generation and Consumption Landscape

Issues Faced by Power-Producing States

1. No Compensation for Pollution – States generating electricity, especially from thermal power, bear the environmental and health costs but receive no financial compensation.
2. Regulatory Gaps – The tax system does not account for pollution or environmental damage from power generation. Taxes are imposed on electricity consumption and sale, not on production.
3. Policy Constraints:
   • Concurrent List Challenge – Both central and state governments control electricity policy, limiting state-level autonomy.
   • Ban on Additional Taxes – The Ministry of Power (Oct 2023) prohibits states from imposing extra levies on power generation.
   • GST Exemption – Electricity is not under GST, preventing states from earning tax revenue on power distribution.
4. Unfair Burden – Power-producing states face heavy pollution and resource depletion without financial support, while power-consuming states enjoy affordable electricity without sharing these costs.