Coal based thermal power plant and its impact on surrounding pond and other surface water: a case study of Kolaghat thermal power project, West Bengal, India

The Kolaghat Thermal Power Plant (K.T.P.P) is situated on the right bank of the river Rupnarayan in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, India. It is well connected with south-eastern Railway, NH- 6 and NH-41. This power plant was established during the sixth Five Years Plan period (1980-85). WBPDCL (West Bengal Power Development Corporation Limited) took the charge of this power plant since 1985. Presently its total power generating capacity is 1260MW, with six units, 210 MW each. K.T.P.P. generates around 7500-8000 metric tons of fly ash every day following the consumption of 18000 tons of coal (Source: KTPP office, 2009). The power plant has been failed miserable to meet the PM emission standard during last few years. So huge amount of fly ash particulate matter (PM) suspended in the air and finally deposited on the ground surface like, water body, vegetation, settlement, etc. It has changes the physico-chemical characteristics of the surrounding surface water. Present paper deals with the fluctuations of physico-chemical and microbial profile of pond water at different station around K.T.P.P.