Chennai, PMK youth wing leader and former Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet, Anbumani Ramadoss has come out strongly against the thermal power plants in Tamil Nadu that emit toxic gases.

In a statement on Thursday, he expressed concern over the thermal power plants emitting toxic and poisonous gases subjecting the people to high levels of pollution.

He called upon the state government to seek alternate sources of energy and not to allow new thermal power plants other than those already sanctioned.

There were media reports about the high level of pollution people of Tamil Nadu are subjected to and Chennai city is on the list of one of the most polluted cities with several thermal plants located in its northern parts.

A study conducted by the organisation Poovulagin Nanbargal, along with CREA and ASAR, has revealed that high levels of toxic gases are being emitted by the thermal power plants in the state.

The high level of emission of sulphur dioxide (SO2) is much above the permissible levels of SO2 emissions. The state and central government-owned thermal power plants are the main culprits in this higher level of emission of this poisonous gas, it said.

The report shows that the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) plant is emitting SO2 at a rate of 2498 milligram/normal cubic metre per hour. The permissible limit is however only 600mg/ NM3.

Ramadoss said that the thermal plants are not following norms to retrofit all coal-based plants with the Flue Gas Desulfuriser. He added that the thermal plants are turning into killers by not properly following the norms of the Union Environment Ministry.

He called upon the Tamil Nadu government to immediately take steps to ensure that all coal-based thermal plants are retrofitted with Flue Gas Desulfurisers.

The PMK leader said that the government should pursue a shift towards hybrid generation of wind and solar power and also take measures to convert coal-based plants to gas-based plants.