Power plant pollutants change with wind direction: Neeri

Manka Behl | TNN | Apr 21, 2020, 04:39 IST

Nagpur: It is mainly in winters that the city chokes under toxic pollution from Mahagenco’s coal-fired power plants at Koradi and Khaparkheda. Throughout the year, different areas receive pollution from the power plants depending on the wind direction.
This came to fore through an analysis done by Neel Kamal, senior scientist at the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute’s (Neeri) Air Pollution Control division. As per the scientific analysis, the impact of pollution from these two power plants on public health depends on the direction of wind.
The atmosphere of the city receives pollutants from Koradi and Khaparkheda power plants only when the wind blows towards Nagpur, the analysis stated. “The direction of wind flow changes round the year. For Nagpur city, wind flows from Koradi to Nagpur during winter period. Hence, power plant chimney pollutants is high in that season,” the analysis added.
During summer, people residing along Bhandara Road tend to suffer the most. “Summer winds blow pollutants from power plants towards south-east direction. Therefore, area along Bhandara Road might get pollution from power plants,” Kamal stated.
He added that the wind direction can be studied at different heights above ground. “It may be noted that wind flow at 240m height above ground during February to April is from north-west and south-west as gathered from historical data. This causes pollutant emission from power plant chimney, which is 275 metres tall, to move away from city and moves towards Kamptee area, thereby keeping Nagpur city atmosphere free from fly ash during this period. However, monitoring of air pollutant in Kamptee may indicate relatively higher pollution during this period,” Kamal stated.
Mahagenco is now setting up two more 660 megawatt units at the Koradi Thermal Power Station. According to the experts, the move will be “nothing more than an economic, environmental, ecological and climate disaster”.
Said Sunil Dahiya, analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA): “Siding with coal is not sustainable on any of these parameters when we have better renewable energy option which are cheaper and environment friendly. Air pollution from coal-based power plants travels in all directions during the year depending on prevalent wind direction. Operation parameters coupled with meteorology and demography governs the impact on public health.”
Stating that the most effective way to reduce public health impacts is shifting away from coal to cleaner sources of energy, Dahiya added, “As this shift can’t be done immediately, applying best available technology to reduce pollution emissions such as highly efficient electrostatic precipitator, flue-gas desulphurization and De-NOx systems is other way to reduce pollution burden of operational coal-based power plants.”