Thermal Power Plant-Its Impact on Agriculture: A Case Study

Abstract

The Kolaghat Thermal Power Plant (KTPP) was developed on the right bank of the Rupnarayan River in the district of Purba Medinipur (West Bengal, India) mainly to supply electricity to Calcutta and Haldia Industrial region. Being a coal based power plant, it releases high volume of particulate matter – ash. The dispersal and falling of ash on vegetative part have declined the quality of the crops grown in the surrounding area. Besides percentage of agricultural land and irrigated land have declined in some parts of the inner air shed area. These changes have led the development of more non- agricultural activities and land use pattern which ultimately have encouraged the State Government to declare developing a municipality area centering this power plant. The present paper is an attempt to investigate all the changes in agricultural sector in relation to the location of a thermal power plant.