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- According to a report by Greenpeace,India is the largest emitter of Sulphur Dioxide(SO2) in the world.
- The report provides that India has emitted more than 15% of all the anthropogenic sulphur dioxide hotspots as detected by NASA’s satellite.
- The primary reason for India’s high emission output is the expansion of coal-based electricity generation over the past decade.
- According to the report,five of the top ten SO2 emission hotspots from coal and power generation industry across the world are in India.
- The report also says that emission has increased as majority of coal-based power plants in India lack flue-gas desulphurisation(FGD) technology to reduce air pollution.
- Further, the report also says that the largest sulphur dioxide emission hotspots in the world have been found in Russia, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Serbia.
- Of the world’s major emitters, China and the United States have been able to reduce emissions rapidly by switching to clean energy sources and enforcement for sulphur dioxide control.
- Sulfur dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula SO2.It is released naturally by volcanic activity and is produced as a by-product of copper extraction and the burning of fossil fuels contaminated with sulfur compounds.
