Kolkata: The state Power department will take measures to curb pollution of the Kolaghat Thermal Power Station in East Midnapore without shutting down any unit.
The department has constituted a five member committee which will come out with a detailed scheme on what needs to be done and what technology needs to be incorporated to bring down the pollution level of the thermal power plant.
A high level meeting was recently held at the office of West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL) which was chaired by state Power minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay. Kolaghat themal power plant that has five operational units is under the glare of the National Green Tribunal that has given a time frame of December 2022 to the state government in arresting the pollution caused by the nitrogen and sulphur gas emitted from the thermal power plant.
"Engineers of the state Power department are part of the committee which will submit a report following which it will be sent to the state Finance department. The initial estimates have pegged the cost of curbing pollution to the tune of Rs 1,000 crores," said a senior official of the department.
The minister said that his department is in talks with some companies that works in this area to chalk out measures on how to bring down the pollution level of the units without shutting down its operation.
"Our aim is to come out with the best possible economical way in arresting the pollution of the thermal power plant which is 33-years-old," said Chattopadhyay.
The department has installed electro static precipitator (ESP) in the mouth of the chimneys of the units for reducing the pollution
caused by ashes emitted from them.
But it has not been able to address the issue of pollution that is caused due to the emission of sulphur and nitrogen gas.