Lok Sabha Question No. 1377 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-28
Subject: Air Pollution Mitigation in Industrial Areas
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri P V Midhun Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1377

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2025

## Air Pollution Mitigation in Industrial Areas

## 1377.   SHRI P.V. MIDHUN REDDY:

Will  the  Minister  of ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) the details of the measures taken/being taken by the Government to combat air pollution in industrial areas of Andhra Pradesh, particularly in Visakhapatnam;
- (b) the impact of these measures on the health of local communities, especially those from economically weaker sections; and
- (c) the details of plans to promote clean energy adoption in these industrial clusters?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE

CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (c):

Government has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 as a national level strategy to reduce air pollution levels across the country including Visakhapatnam city in Andhra Pradesh. NCAP targets to achieve reduction in Particulate Matter level up to 40% from the levels of FY 19-20 or achievement of national standards (60 µg/m 3 ) by 2025-26.

Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  has  identified  130  million  plus/non-attainment  cities (cities  exceeding  National  Ambient  Air  Quality  Standards  (NAAQS),  consecutively  for  five years)  including  13  cities  namely  Guntur,  Kurnool,  Nellore,  Vijayawada,  Vishakhapatnam, Anantapur, Chitoor, Eluru, Kadapa, Ongole, Rajahmundry, Srikakulam, and Vizianagaram cities of Andhra Pradesh. City Specific Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared and rolled out for implementation in all these 130 non-attainment/million plus cities to improve the air quality.

CPCB  issued  directions  to  all  SPCBs/PCC  to  conduct  the  CEPI  monitoring  in  all  Severely Polluted  Areas  (SPAs)  and  Critically  Polluted  Areas  (CPAs)  during  pre-monsoon  and  post monsoon  seasons  of  every  year  based  on  the  revised  CEPI  concept,  2016  to  evaluate  CEPI scores.

Further, CPCB classifies various sectors/activities under colour coded categories based on their pollution potential (Classification-2025). The Classification-2025 includes incentive mechanism for the units in any sector that adopt environment friendly practices such as use of 100% cleaner fuel/renewal energy etc. and ensuring continuous compliance.

The State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Conrol Committees (SPCBs/ PCCs) impose emission standards on the industries for granting prior consent (Consent to Establish/ Consent to Operate), as per the provisions of the Air Act, 1981, apart from the Water Act, 1974.

During  2020,  Andhra  Pradesh  Pollution  Control  Board  (APPCB)  has  prepared  action  plan  to mitigate  environmental  pollution.  In  addition,  APPCB  has  imposed  stringent  standards  on  the industries  operating  in  Andhra  Pradesh  and,  especially,  the  Visakhapatnam  Industrial  area,  in respect of, inter alia, Particulate Matter, Sulphur Dioxide and Flourine.

All  the  industries  located  in  Pharma  city,  Parawada  and  APIIC,  Atchuthapuram  areas  have installed bag filter irrespective of boiler  capacity and boiler capacity  > 10 TPH have installed online emission monitoring system, which is connected with APPCB to verify the real time data. If any non-compliance is found, alert is sent to the defaulting industry for rectification.

Andhra Pradesh has adopted clean energy initiatives, inter alia, through the following measures:

- i. There are 250 major industries located in Visakhapatnam & Anakapalli districts. As per the government policy, the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has laid pipelines for supplying  PNG  to  the  industries  located  in  Atchuthapuram  &  Parawada.  The  IOCL  is supplying PNG to 10 industries in Duvvada, Atchthapuram & Parawada.
- ii. M/s.  Coromandel  International  Ltd.,  Sriharipuram,  Malkapuram  (PO),  Visakhapatnam District is generating 21 MW power from the waste heat recovery of the Sulphuric Acid Plants.
- iii. M/s Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (Visakh Refinery), Malkapuram, Visakhapatnam  is  using  Fuel  oil  of  Sulphur  content  less  than  0.5%  and  Fuel  gas  of sulphur  content  less  than  100ppm  is  used  as  fuel  for  furnaces.  The  refinery  uses  fuels with low sulphur content like Low Sulphur Heavy Stock (LSHS), Naphtha and treated Fuel Gas (FG) to maintain SOx emissions within norms. Sulphur Recovery Units (SRUs) are also installed to recover sulphur for sour gases and thus reduce the SOx emissions. Carbon monoxide (CO) boilers are installed to eliminate CO emissions. Amine treatment facilities are provided in Crude Distillation Units (CDUs) to treat the hot-well off gases. Flare Gas Recovery Units (FGRUs) are installed to control flare loss. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) removal system is provided in Integrated Effluent Treatment Plant (IETP) to eliminate VOC emissions. The HPCL has installed & operating green hydrogen project (Demo Plant) - 370 TPA.
- iv. RINL is generating 15-20 MW power from waste heat recovery of coke oven gas, 7-10 MW power from  waste  pressure  recovery  of  blast  furnace  gas,  100  MW  power  from waste gas recovery of blast furnace. LD gas generated is used as fuel to the rolling mills.
- v. M/s.  Kanoria  Chemicals  &  Industries  Ltd.,  Plot  No.  32,  J.N.  Pharma  City,  Parawada, Anakapalli District has installed Waste Heat recovery Boilers of 8 TPH & 1 TPH.
- vi. M/s. Visakhapatnam Port Authority, Visakhapatnam has installed & is operating 10 MW solar power generation.
- vii. M/s. Simhadri Super Thermal Power Project (Stage I & II), NTPC Limited, Parawada, Anakapalli District has installed and is operating 25 MW Floating solar power plant on raw water reservoir inside the plant area.
- viii. Waste to Energy plant was established & operated by Jindal Urban Waste Management in  Visakhapatnam  covering  27  ULBs  by  utilizing  solid  waste  as  fuel  source  for generating electrical power of 1372 TPD.

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