Lok Sabha Question No. 2050 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-31
Subject: Air Quality at NTPC Thermal Power Plants
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Shri Vamsi Krishna Gaddam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2050 ANSWERED ON 31.07.2025

## AIR QUALITY AT NTPC THERMAL POWER PLANTS

2050.  SHRI VAMSI KRISHNA GADDAM:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

(a) the  air  quality  monitoring  data  recorded  at  the  NTPC  Thermal  Power  plants operating in Peddapalli Lok Sabha Constituency during the past twelve months including particulate matter and sulfur dioxide emission levels;

(b) the timeline for carbon capture technology deployment at NTPC facilities in the district following the successful pilot project at Vindhyachal that captures twenty tonnes of carbon dioxide daily;

(c) whether the Union Government has conducted health impact assessment studies on communities residing within ten kilometers of thermal power plants in Peddapalli Lok Sabha Constituency and if so, the outcomes thereof;

(d) the compensation  fund allocation for affected farmers whose  agricultural productivity  has  declined  due  to  fly  ash  deposition  from  thermal  power  generation activities; and

(e) the renewable energy transition roadmap for phasing out coal-fired units older than 25 years in the constituency as per the Union Government's pollution reduction policy?

## A N S W E R

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER

(SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)

(a) : NTPC Ltd is currently operating its two-coal based thermal power plant (TPPs) in Peddapalli  Lok  Sabha  Constituency,  in  the  Peddapalli  district  of  Telangana  namely Ramagundam  (2,600  MW)  and  Telangana  (1,600  MW)  Thermal  Power  Plants  located adjacent to each other.

The ambient air quality monitoring data for emission levels including Particulate Matters  and  Sulfur  Dioxide  recorded,  and  monitored  through  Central  Pollution  Control Board  (CPCB)  recognized  laboratory,  for  the  past  twelve  months  at  various  locations nearby TPPs are given at Annexure.

……..2.

(b) : NTPC Ltd has taken up the following small-scale pilot/R&D projects for flue gas CO2 capture and utilization:

(i)  A  10  tons  per  day  flue  gas  CO2-to-Methanol  project  at  NTPC  Vindhyachal,  Madhya

Pradesh. (ii) A 10 tons per day flue gas CO2-to-Gen-4 Ethanol project at NTPC Lara, Chhattisgarh. The projects are in demonstration stage. As of now, there is no plan for carbon capture technology deployment at NTPC thermal power plants in the Peddapalli district, Telangana. (c) : No such study has been conducted by Government of India to study the health impact on communities residing within ten Kms of thermal power plants in Peddapalli Lok Sabha constituency. However, NTPC Ramagundam thermal power plant has independently carried out 'Occupational Health and Epidemic Health Disorder Survey' including  human  health  risk,  epidemiological  study  and  ecological  risk  for  addition  of 2x800 MW Telangana Super Thermal Power Plants in 2017-18 and as per the study, no negative health effects were reported in the areas surrounding the thermal power plant. (d) : No  such  incidences  have  been  reported  to  NTPC  thermal  power  plants  for compensation in Peddapalli district. Further, these plants of NTPC Ltd. are disposing off their fly ash in an eco-friendly manner as per MoEF&CC ash Notification dated 31.12.2021 and its subsequent amendments. (e) :    As part of its commitment to renewable energy, NTPC Ltd. has commissioned a 100 MW floating solar power plant and a 10 MW ground-mounted solar plant in Peddapalli district. The Central Electricity Authority(CEA) has issued an advisory dated 20.01.2023 and 07.07.2023 to all Thermal Power Utilities not to retire or repurpose their coal-based power stations  before  2030  and  to  ensure  the  availability  of  thermal  units  after  carrying  out Renovation  and  Modernization(R&M)  activities,  if  required,  considering  the  expected energy demand scenario in future. Further,  electricity  generation  is  a  de-licensed  activity  as  per  Section-7  of  the Electricity Act, 2003 and phasing out/retirement of units are decided by Power Generating and

Utilities/Companies based on their own techno-economic, energy demand environmental reasons.

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## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2050 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 31.07.2025 *************

## Ambient Air Quality Data near NTPC Thermal Power Plants, Peddapali-District

|         | Months / Parameters   | Location-1: Balancing Reservoir   | Location-1: Balancing Reservoir   | Location-1: Balancing Reservoir   | Location-1: Balancing Reservoir   | Location-2: Ramagundam Pump House   | Location-2: Ramagundam Pump House   | Location-2: Ramagundam Pump House   | Location-2: Ramagundam Pump House   | Location-3: Permanent Township   | Location-3: Permanent Township   | Location-3: Permanent Township   | Location-3: Permanent Township   |
|---------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| Sl. No. | Months / Parameters   | PM-10 (µg/m3), Limit: 100         | PM-2.5 (µg/m3), Limit:60          | SO 2 (µg/m3) Limit:80             | NO 2 (µg/m3), Limit:80            | PM-10 (µg/m3), Limit: 100           | PM-2.5 (µg/m3), Limit:60            | SO 2 (µg/m3), Limit:80              | NO 2 (µg/m3), Limit:80              | PM-10 (µg/m3), Limit: 100        | PM-2.5 (µg/m3), Limit:60         | SO 2 (µg/m3), Limit:80           | NO (µg/m Limit                   |
| 1       | JUNE 2024             | 38.26                             | 21.60                             | 15.60                             | 24.80                             | 59.15                               | 42.24                               | 12.52                               | 20.79                               | 54.26                            | 37.47                            | 9.51                             | 16.                              |
| 2       | JULY 2024             | 37.62                             | 21.93                             | 15.68                             | 23.12                             | 44.35                               | 33.28                               | 13.03                               | 20.69                               | 45.63                            | 33.64                            | 9.51                             | 17.                              |
| 3       | AUGUST 2024           | 37.46                             | 19.19                             | 17.55                             | 24.26                             | 39.22                               | 19.14                               | 13.45                               | 21.81                               | 39.24                            | 19.86                            | 9.81                             | 17.                              |
| 4       | SEPTEMBER 2024        | 38.29                             | 18.42                             | 18.48                             | 25.43                             | 40.17                               | 19.10                               | 13.37                               | 20.59                               | 38.79                            | 20.58                            | 9.99                             | 18.                              |
| 5       | OCTOBER 2024          | 39.94                             | 20.14                             | 20.25                             | 25.02                             | 41.25                               | 20.93                               | 13.66                               | 21.24                               | 40.78                            | 21.32                            | 10.26                            | 19.                              |
| 6       | NOVEMBER 2024         | 43.99                             | 22.17                             | 21.89                             | 25.68                             | 43.61                               | 22.35                               | 13.80                               | 23.01                               | 43.55                            | 24.13                            | 11.56                            | 20.                              |
| 7       | DECEMBER 2024         | 48.84                             | 24.47                             | 23.73                             | 25.63                             | 48.37                               | 22.87                               | 15.29                               | 24.97                               | 46.76                            | 26.76                            | 13.36                            | 21.                              |
| 8       | JANUARY 2025          | 52.60                             | 26.66                             | 24.13                             | 25.96                             | 51.28                               | 25.66                               | 17.08                               | 26.03                               | 50.75                            | 28.33                            | 16.49                            | 22.                              |
| 9       | FEBRUARY 2025         | 53.59                             | 26.41                             | 25.36                             | 26.48                             | 51.64                               | 26.03                               | 17.81                               | 24.72                               | 52.70                            | 27.77                            | 17.47                            | 23.                              |
| 10      | MARCH 2025            | 54.68                             | 26.30                             | 16.05                             | 28.05                             | 53.00                               | 26.50                               | 14.16                               | 25.57                               | 54.66                            | 28.17                            | 14.68                            | 23.                              |
| 11      | APRIL 2025            | 56.78                             | 27.36                             | 10.82                             | 18.27                             | 55.47                               | 26.19                               | 11.13                               | 16.83                               | 56.12                            | 28.86                            | 11.87                            | 20.                              |
| 12      | MAY 2025              | 45.51                             | 23.44                             | 11.44                             | 18.79                             | 44.59                               | 24.58                               | 11.37                               | 18.10                               | 45.16                            | 25.67                            | 12.79                            | 19.                              |

Note: The data is based on the monthly average of bi-weekly 24-hourly monitoring conducted by a CPCB-recognized laboratory.

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