Environmental impact assessment study for Solapur super thermal power project (2 X 660 MW)
Student name: Ms Nishtha Gupta
Guide: Dr Ashoke Basistha
Year of completion: 2009
Host Organisation: Vogue Construction and Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd.
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Vimal Kumar Singh
Abstract: The coal-based thermal power plants are considered to be one of the major sources of environmental
pollution affecting land use, air, water, soil, ecology and human health due to gaseous emissions of
sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), Mercury (Hg) and Ozone (O3) in the atmosphere..
The present EIA study was carried out for the proposed Solapur STPP (2 x 660 MW) in Solapur
district, Maharashtra. The baseline environmental scenario was established through literature
review for concerned environmental attributes in the study area of 10.0 km radius around the
proposed project site comprising 23 villages of South Solapur and Akkalkot talukas in Solapur
district. There will not be any adverse impacts of the project during construction and operation of
Solapur STPP on the environmental attributes except the change in land use pattern that is envisaged
due to acquisition of 1650 acres of monocrop agricultural land. There will be some adverse impacts
of the proposed project on the people living in the vicinity of the project site. However, a proper R &
R plan will be formulated in consultation with PAP’s and State Government of Maharashtra and
implemented at site. The air quality modelling with ISCST3 software revealed that the maximum
incremental ground level concentration of SO2 , NOx and SPM due to operation of the project was
52.90 µg/m3
, 24.52 µg/m3 and 3.26 µg/m3
occurring at a distance of 4.0 km in northeast direction.
The maximum resultant glc’s for SO2, NOx
and SPM after implementation of the project were
estimated to be within the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The noise modelling carried out
using multisource noise attenuation to predict the noise levels during the operational phase of the
thermal power plant revealed that the noise level at a distance of 2.3 km from the proposed project
boundary was 33.21 dB (A) and the ambient noise levels measured at the same distance in Ahirwadi
village ranged 37.3 to 56.8 dB (A) therefore no increase in the ambient noise levels during operation
phase is envisaged due to masking effect. The EMP was delineated to address the adverse impacts if
any, in construction and operation stages. The ash utilization plan was prepared according to
Gazette Notification of MoEF on Ash Utilization dated 27.08.2003 for sustainable utilization of dry
fly ash in Cement Plants, Brick Manufacturing Plants, construction of roads and in filling of low
lying areas. The unused fly ash shall be disposed off in the proposed ash disposal area by HCSD
system. There will be provision for recirculatory cooling system with induced draft cooling towers
that will operate on four cycle of concentration (COC) and the main plant effluents will be
discharged through Central Monitoring Basin. The greenbelt development plan was prepared with a
view to ameliorate the fugitive emissions, attenuation of noise levels from the plant, in restoring water
balance and in improvement of aesthetics of the plant site as well as surroundings.
Key words: Solapur STPP, Baseline Environment, Impact Assessment, ISCST3,
EMP
