This new Note by Manthan Adhyayan Kendra brings out widespread non-compliance by thermal power plants with legally binding limits on how much water they are allowed to use. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change had issued a Notification on 7 December 2015 to set legally binding limits on water to be used for each unit of electricity generated (i.e., Specific Water Consumption) by thermal power plants throughout the country. They had to comply by Dec 2017.
This Note is based on an ongoing study by Manthan Adhyayan Kendra using information accessed under the RTI Act 2005, and apart from the non-compliance, highlights several other issues of concern, and gives a set of recommendations to improve monitoring and implementation.
