Thermal Power Emission and Its Impact on Betel Vine (Piper betel): A Participatory Action Research in West Bengal

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 betel vine(y2). From this empirical study, it has been found to be concluded that the common perception among the betel growers is that the Kolaghat thermal power plant produces huge amount of flu ash which reduces their level of income on betel vine. Thick layer of fly ash reduces the quality of leaves and bronzing occurred which affect production. It affects betel vine borojes. It is found from the result that villages which are nearly placed at Kolaghat thermal power plant side are mostly affected.