Maharashtra power plants slip on green parameters: CAG

Maharashtra's promise to get rid of load-shedding in the state by 2012 may remain only on paper in the absence of proper planning to tide over the 5000 MW power deficit, the government auditor has said.

Moreover, the electricity generated by a number of its thermal power plants also falls short on various environment parameters, it said.

The performance audit on power generation activities in Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited found that online monitoring equipment for pollution checks was not installed at 22 out of the 34 thermal units in the state.

"Capacity additions planned by the Company were not commensurate with the deficit of power. As against the required capacity additions of 5,210 MW, the actual additions by the Company was only 625 MW during 2005-10," the report of the comptroller and auditor general said.

Thus, the objective of the National Electricity Policy to provide power for all by 2012 may not be achieved, it said.

The CAG report was tabled in the state Assembly last month.

On green norms, accountant general Sayantani Jafa found that the installation of Electrostatic Precipitators at the thermal power station at Parli recorded suspended particulate matter levels ranging from 80 to 149 mg/nm3 as against the designated level of 50-70 mg/nm3.

"The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board had issued (December 2009) a show cause notice to TPS, Parli, for violation of environmental norms and had also warned of legal action for various violations. Bank guarantee of Rs10 lakh for violation was also not deposited by the Company," Jafa said.

The auditor also found that the thermal power plants at Khaperkheda, Paras, Bhusawal and Parli had high noise levels, particularly during night hours.

While rules cap the noise level at 70 decibels during night hours, the power plants in question had noise levels in excess of 90 decibels during the night.

The state government stated that majority of thermal units were very old and were designed as per the norms prevailing at that time.