Thermal Power Station and Human Health in an Agriculturally Green Ecology: The Impact and Perception

Abstract

Thermal power stations are now considered as the foremost global concern as these are responsible to produce detrimental effects on the environment. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process of evaluating the likely environmental impact so proposed project or development, taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural and human-health impacts, both beneficial and adverse. In this study, the perception of certain(60) farmers in 5 villages of Kolaghat block of Purba Medinipur,West Bengal, India are recorded and analyzed on the basis of their knowledge and views about thermal power, environment and about their individual enterprises. There are 10 independent variables-ages (x1), education (x2), family Member (x3), income (x4), homestead land (x5), total Land (x6), land under Boroj (x7), input cost (x8), and livestock number (x9), distance of villages from Kolaghat thermal power plant (x10) and 1 dependable variables- 1) perceived impacts of Kolaghat thermal power plant on human health(y1).It has been found that toxic elements and fly ash from Kolaghat thermal power plant have several consequences upon local environment, human, agriculture and livestock. It has also revealed that Kolaghat thermal power plant hampers the social ecology of the local areas. The study has further suggested several recommendations to cope with adverse environmental and ecological condition.