Telangana, WB in top three states producing unclean coal-based power

HYDERABAD: An analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found that Telangana is among the top three states in the country which produce unclean coal-based power which affects the environment significantly. The assessment by CSE states that West Bengal is at the top of the table in buying the ‘dirtiest’ coal power in the country. Telangana and Gujarat are the next in the table. 84 per cent of the power stations in West Bengal, 74 per cent in Telangana and 71 per cent in Gujarat, supplying the power to the state are unclean.

Most of the stations supplying electricity in the state, especially state-run, have not taken adequate measures to satisfy the emission norms of sulphur-dioxide (SO₂) notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, Climate Change in December 2015.

Soundaram Ramanathan, Deputy Programme Manager, Industrial Pollution Unit, CSE, said that in Telangana, most of the power plants which not complying with the norms are run by Telangana State Power Generation Corporation Limited. He added that apart from this, unclean power is also sourced from the power stations established outside Telangana.