Ceiling on GHG emission from thermal power plants

As per Kyoto Protocol only Annex-I Parties (developed countries) are obliged to take emission reduction commitments. Developing countries including India have no such obligation. Hence there is no proposal under consideration to limit green house gas emissions from thermal power stations, a release said.

The government has recently revised the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS); the area classification based on land-use has been done away with so that there are uniform ambient air quality norms for residential and industrial areas. These uniform norms are more stringent than the earlier industrial area norms.

These standards provide a legal framework for control of air pollution and the protection of public health. It is difficult to assess the manner in which the people living near thermal power plants are likely to be benefited after this notification on revised NAAQS.

However, stricter and comprehensive air quality norms are bound to serve as a bench mark for proactive environmental planning and effective control of air pollution.