Air Pollution Source Apportionment Study at Kanhia Open Cast Coal Mine Area, Odisha

Kaniha Open Cast Coal mine is located in Talcher coalfields of Odisha in the District Angul and is being operated by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, which is a subsidiary of Coal India Limited. Mining Lease Area of the Kaniha Opencast Coal mine is 718 ha with production capacity of 14 million ton per annum.

Talcher area, Angul has been categorized as one of the critical polluted areas by the Central Pollution Control Board. Apart from open cast mining activities, there are power plants, large scale industries etc., in the vicinity of 10kms radius of Kaniha OCP.

For the compliance of EC/CTO conditions, TERI with siupport from the Mahanadi Coalfield Limited (MCL) is conducting an air pollution source apportionment study by testing ambient air quality at eight stations with the approval of Regional Officer, Odisha State Pollution Control Board, Angul.

Scope of Work

In order to understand the contribution of different sources types and quantification of emissions from them to ambient air pollution of particulate matters in the vicinity of 10kms radius of the Kaniha OCP, the study is being conducted with the following objectives-

• Measure air pollutants concentrations (PM10 and PM2.5) at different landuse categories of the study domain.
• Analysis of collected samples for Ions, Elements, PAH’s and carbon fractions (Elemental and Carbon fractions).
• Preparation of grid-wise emissions of inventory accounting for various sources in the study area.
• Source apportionment study of particulate matter (both PM10 and PM2.5) using latest version of Chemical Mass Balance model at Kaniha OCP.
• Preparation of an air quality action plan after prioritizing of control options.
• Assessment of zone of influence and hot spot identification with scenario analysis and suggestion of management plan to curb air pollution.