Industries violated air pollution norms: study

A study by the Chennai Climate Action Group of six giant and red-category polluting industries within the Manali and Ennore areas has revealed that none of them complied with air pollution norms.

These main polluters violated the prescribed norms for 59% of the 12 months, stated the report that analysed stack emission knowledge for 2019, obtained from the Care Centre of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).

The report stated the thermal energy plant cluster in Ennore operated in violation of the air pollution norms for 49% of the 12 months and the petrochemical cluster in Manali 26% of the 12 months.

Tangedco’s NCTPS Stage-I operated in violation of the air pollution norms for 58% of the 12 months; NTECL, Vallur, 41% of the 12 months; Madras Fertilizers Limited 77% of the 12 months; Manali Petrochemicals Ltd. 9% of the 12 months; the Tamilnadu Petroproducts Ltd. 24% of the 12 months, and Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited 65% of the 12 months, the report said.

The parameters that had been analysed had been for sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, ammonia, hydrogen fluoride and carbon monoxide.

Nithyanand Jayaraman, one of many authors of the report, “Poison in the Air: The Regulatory Black Hole Over Ennore Manali Industrial Zone,” stated the problem ought to be checked out from a well being perspective, and earlier than extra deliberate actions had been permitted, the pollution load needed to be introduced down.

“We need a network of real-time pollution monitors that would help issue health advisories and provide better data to the government that can ensure better air quality,” he stated.

In the report, Sharadha Narayanan, Kanishk Gokul and Karthik Gunasekar have urged the federal government to behave in opposition to industries for having violated the norms. They have urged the federal government to place in place a time-bound plan to make industries compliant and shut down repeat offenders.

K. Karthikeyan, former member secretary, TNPCB, stated the problem of ambient air high quality needed to be addressed since aerosols trapped viruses, resulting in a rise of their load. A coal-based thermal energy plant within the State had addressed the problem of sulphur, successfully, by way of desulphurisation and others should observe swimsuit, he stated. As far the refineries had been involved, the introduction of low-sulphur fuels below Bharat Stage VI norms had successfully decreased sulphur content material in gas. “What needs to be done is flare emission regulation as per U.S. EPA [ the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency],” he stated.