Out of the 15 most polluted cities with regard to PM2.5 level in the world, 11 cities are in India. Some of these cities mostly along the River Ganga belt are Delhi, Kanpur, Faridabad, Varanasi, Agra, Lucknow, and Patna. Ambient air pollution is widely known to have severe negative impacts on human health. When emitted into the atmosphere, oxides of sulphur (SOx), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and mercury undergo chemical reactions to form compounds that can travel long distances. These fine particle compounds contribute to death and serious respiratory illnesses (e.g., asthma, chronic bronchitis, and so on). Exposure to particulate matter (PM) leads to various diseases that have short- and long-term health effects. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) reported India’s ambient air pollution-related premature mortality at 0.67 million in 2017. A recent assessment at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on the health impacts of air pollution reveals that total mortality due to ambient air pollution could be 0.76 million in 2020.
Impact of Power Sector on Air Pollution
In India, of the total environmental pollution in 2016, the power sector reportedly accounted for 51% of SO2, 43% of carbon dioxide (CO2), 20% of NOx, and 7% of PM2.5 emissions.
The coal-fired power generation is considered one of the major sources of environmental pollution in India. Coal-based power plants have dominated the power supply mix since the 1980s. As of March 31, 2020, around 55% of India’s total installed capacity, that is, 370 GW came from coal-based power stations and these accounted for 71% of the total electricity generation during the same financial year. Indian coal has a lower sulphur content (0.3–0.5%) as compared to imported coal (0.6–2%), which is why initially, not many norms were in place for SOx curtailment from thermal power stations (TPSs).
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Denne historien er fra January - March 2021-utgaven av Energy Future.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Air Pollution In India: Major Issues And Challenges
As per a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health Journal, in 2019, air pollution ‘caused more than 16.7 lakh deaths in India — over ten times more than the country’s COVID-19 death toll so far’. In this thought-provoking article, Dr Bhola Ram Gurjar foregrounds the challenges India is currently facing to bring the level of air quality to a certain standard and discusses solutions that could be adopted to combat the national crisis.
RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Molten Salt Tower echnology for India
Power generation is the backbone of India’s solar sector. Sheela K Ramasesha highlights the merits of considering the solar molten salt tower technology in the country’s power mix to achieve a quicker and more efficient way of power production.
LPG ADOPTION BY RURAL HOUSEHOLDS: Financial Instrument to Push Refills
One of the major health hazards in India stems from household air pollution. The use of the traditional cooking stove, called chulha, involves burning of biomass, thereby releasing smoke that is a leading cause of illness and death. In this article, Debajit Palit, Martand Shardul, and Deborshi Brahmachari discuss the advantages of replacing biomass stoves with LPG and recommend an innovative financial instrument for increasing the uptake of LPG refills by rural households
JAPAN ENERGY FIRM INPEX SETS 2050 NET-ZERO EMISSION GOAL
Inpex Corp, Japan’s biggest oil and gas producer, said it is targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 through the expansion of renewable and hydrogen energy as well as the use of carbon capture technology.
INDIA TO WITNESS FASTEST RISE IN ENERGY DEMAND BY 2040: IEA
In a report titled, ‘The India Energy Outlook 2021’, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said, the rapid expansion of solar power combined with favourable policies is transforming India’s electricity sector, allowing the country to offer clean, affordable, and reliable power to a growing number of households and businesses.
EMISSIONS CONTROL IN THERMAL POWER STATIONS: A Long Road to Cross
In this article, Raghav Pachouri brings out the current situation and the challenges confronting us regarding emissions control in thermal power stations (TPSs) in India. While analysing the impact of the power sector on air pollution levels, he highlights the current status of compliance in India (especially Delhi-NCR and critically polluted areas) till June 2020 after revised emission norms for TPSs came into effect on December 7, 2015. He also dwells on the major roadblocks in the timely compliance of emission norms and also offers a few solutions.
Managing Air pollution From Crop Burning
The perils of crop-residue burning contribute to major environmental degradation. In this article, TCA Avni and Sunil Dhingra discuss how the practice of stubble burning is responsible for poor air quality and loss of agricultural biodiversity. They highlight the importance of managing paddy residue and offer sustainable solutions, incentives, and alternatives to crop burning.
GOVERNMENT EXTENDS TENURE OF CENTRAL ELECTRICITY REGULATORY COMMISSION CHIEF, MEMBERS TILL NEXT YEAR
The government has issued order for extension of the tenure of former Gujarat cadre bureaucrat Pradeep Kumar Pujari as chairperson of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) till mid-next year.
CHINA SET TO ADD 140 GW RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY IN 2021
China is expected to add 140 GW of renewable energy power generation this year as its electricity consumption continues to grow, according to forecasts from the China Electricity Council (CEC).
