pollution IX

Renovation of GNDTP unit III in full swing
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 18
To provide relief from the raining ash, renovation of the unit number III of the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) is in full swing, claimed Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) authorities here today.
After the renovation of two units — I and II in 2006 and 2007, respectively — the units III and IV were said to be the major sources of air pollution in the city, as these were emitting fly ash much beyond the specified norms of the Punjab Pollution Control Board.
Paying heed to the woes of Bathinda residents, the PSEB authorities finally made the authorities of the Bharat Heavy Electricity Limited (BHEL) initiate the renovation of the remaining two units.
According to information collected from the PSEB authorities, the process of dismantling unit III was initiated on January 14 this year with the target of completing the same in nine months. It has been informed that once the renovation of unit III is completed, the BHEL authorities would take up the job of renovating unit IV.
During the process, boilers, turbines and coal mills would, reportedly, be replaced with new ones and the whole process would cost about Rs 465 crore to the PSEB.
It may be mentioned that all the four units of the GNDTP were being run even as these have completed their lives. Finding no other option, the authorities decided to renovate all to keep them functioning.
Giving information, Member (Generation) PSEB GS Sran claimed that once the renovation of the units III and IV was completed, not only would the pollution be brought under check but the generation capacity of both the units would also get increased by 10 MW each.
As the fly ash problem had emerged as a major issue in the last Lok Sabha polls, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal brought the matter to the notice of Union Minister for Heavy Industries Vilasrao Deshmukh.
She had pointed out that they had to face public outrage due to high-level of air pollution in the city. To take an account of the renovation process, Harsimrat Badal today visited the GNDTP and urged the officials to complete the job within the announced time period.