AERMOD Air Dispersion Modelling in Odisha & Chhattisgarh

AERMOD Studies for the Odisha and Chhattisgarh Industrial Belt

Odisha and Chhattisgarh, together with the neighbouring parts of Jharkhand, form one of the densest concentrations of heavy industry in India. Integrated steel plants, sponge iron kilns, ferro-alloy units, aluminium smelters and refineries, coal-fired power stations, captive power plants, washeries and opencast coal and iron ore mines sit close to one another, often in the same river valley. For any new unit or expansion here, the air quality question is rarely about one stack in isolation. It is about what the project adds to an airshed that is already heavily loaded.

DSTechnoverse prepares regulatory AERMOD air dispersion modelling studies for projects in this belt: Environmental Clearance (EC) applications under the EIA Notification 2006, Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate (CTE/CTO) applications, expansion and modernisation proposals, and stack height justification. We work for project proponents directly and as a white-label modelling partner for EIA consultancies that hold the client relationship. All work is done remotely from Indore, with site data, drawings and review meetings handled online.

SPCB Odisha, CECB and SEIAA Practice for Dispersion Modelling

In Odisha, consents are issued by the State Pollution Control Board Odisha (SPCB Odisha, also referred to as OSPCB). In Chhattisgarh, the regulator is the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB). Projects in the Jharkhand part of the belt fall under the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board. Category B projects are appraised by the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) and State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) of the respective state, while large steel, power, smelter and major mining projects are generally Category A and go to the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Dispersion modelling usually enters through the Terms of Reference for an EIA, which ask for the incremental ground level concentrations of particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, and for the predicted values to be added to baseline monitoring and compared with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. For consent applications, the requirement depends on the category of the unit, its location and the conditions set by the regional office, so it is worth confirming with the concerned regional office before scoping the study. Our air quality modelling for environmental clearance guide explains how the modelling chapter is normally structured.

Angul-Talcher, Korba and Other Critically Polluted Areas in the Eastern Belt

Angul-Talcher in Odisha and Korba in Chhattisgarh were both identified as critically polluted areas in the Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) assessment published by the Central Pollution Control Board in 2009. Projects in or near such areas tend to receive closer attention from appraisal committees, and the air quality chapter is expected to show clearly how the new emissions interact with existing sources.

In practice this means a cumulative assessment rather than a single-project run. We model the proposed sources together with the major existing or approved sources in the study area where emission data are available, and we present the project increment, the cumulative prediction and the resulting total against baseline monitoring. Our article on cumulative air quality impact assessment in India describes the approach in more detail.

• Angul-Talcher: coalfields, thermal power, aluminium smelting and steel in the Brahmani valley
• Korba: coal-fired power stations, an aluminium smelter and large opencast coal mines in the Hasdeo basin
• Jharsuguda and Sambalpur: aluminium, power and sponge iron alongside coal mining
• Raigarh and the Raipur periphery: sponge iron, steel rolling, ferro-alloys and captive power

Industrial Clusters in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand We Model

For steel and sponge iron projects we model the full set of point sources: kiln and blast furnace stacks, sinter and pellet plants, power plant boilers, induction furnaces and the many dedusting stacks, together with fugitive sources at raw material handling and stockyards. The AERMOD modelling for steel plants guide covers this in detail, and our thermal power plant modelling article covers coal-fired units.

• Kalinganagar (Jajpur district): integrated steel plants and associated units
• Angul, Talcher and Jharsuguda: aluminium smelters, captive and utility power, steel and coal mines
• Keonjhar and the Joda-Barbil area: iron ore mining, beneficiation, pelletisation and sponge iron
• Sambalpur and Rourkela: steel, sponge iron and related industries
• Paradip: port-based industry, refinery, fertiliser and bulk handling on the coast
• Raipur (Siltara, Urla and nearby areas): sponge iron, rolling mills, ferro-alloys and power
• Bhilai and Durg: integrated steel and downstream units
• Korba and Raigarh: thermal power, aluminium, coal mining and sponge iron
• Jamshedpur and Dhanbad in Jharkhand: steel, coal mining and coke-based industry

Aluminium Smelters, Mines and Fugitive Sources in Odisha and Chhattisgarh

Aluminium smelters are a distinctive feature of this region. Emissions from potline buildings leave through long roof monitors as warm, buoyant air, and treating them as ordinary point stacks misrepresents their behaviour. AERMOD includes a buoyant line source option intended for exactly this kind of release, and we choose between it and volume or area representations depending on the smelter layout and the data available. Fluoride and particulate matter from the potrooms are modelled alongside emissions from fume treatment plant stacks, anode baking and the captive power plant.

Coal and iron ore mining projects in Talcher, Ib Valley, Korba and Keonjhar are dominated by fugitive dust: drilling and blasting, excavation, haul roads, crushing, conveyor transfer points and stockpiles. These are modelled as area, volume and line sources with emission factors appropriate to each activity and to the control measures proposed. See air quality modelling for mining projects for how each source is set up.

Meteorological Data for Odisha and Chhattisgarh Studies

AERMOD needs hourly surface meteorology and upper air information processed through AERMET. For most EIA studies the core is on-site monitoring of wind speed, wind direction, temperature and related parameters during the baseline season, supported by longer-term reference data. Surface records from nearby airports and India Meteorological Department (IMD) observatories are used to check representativeness and to understand seasonal wind patterns.

Likely reference stations include Biju Patnaik International Airport at Bhubaneswar for coastal and central Odisha, Veer Surendra Sai Airport at Jharsuguda for the western Odisha industrial area, and Swami Vivekananda Airport at Raipur for central Chhattisgarh. IMD observatories across both states provide climatological context. Where a station is far from the site or separated by hills, prognostic meteorological data processed for the site location are often a better choice. Our meteorological data for air modelling in India guide explains the options.

Terrain, Valleys and Coastal Effects in Odisha and Chhattisgarh

Terrain matters more here than in many other parts of India. The Eastern Ghats run through southern and western Odisha, the Chota Nagpur plateau extends into northern Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, and many industrial clusters sit in river valleys such as the Brahmani, Mahanadi and Hasdeo. Plumes from tall stacks can impinge on nearby hills, and valley sites can trap emissions under stable night-time conditions. We use digital elevation data processed through AERMAP so that receptor heights and hill scales are represented correctly; see terrain and land use data for AERMOD.

On the Odisha coast around Paradip, the land-sea boundary changes the boundary layer over short distances and sea breeze circulation affects plume transport during the day. Coastal projects may also involve Coastal Regulation Zone considerations, which sit alongside the air quality assessment. Monsoon months bring very different wind patterns from the dry winter season, which is often the critical season for ground level concentrations, so the choice of baseline season is discussed at the start of each study.

Real Estate EC Projects in Bhubaneswar and Raipur: DG Sets and Dust

Large residential and commercial developments in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Raipur and Naya Raipur also need air modelling. Building and construction projects with a built-up area of 20,000 to 1,50,000 m² fall under item 8(a) of the EIA Notification 2006, and township and area development projects covering 50 ha or more, or with a built-up area of 1,50,000 m² or more, fall under item 8(b). For these projects the modelled sources are typically standby DG sets and construction phase dust. Our environmental consultant for construction and real estate guide covers the usual questions, including DG set stack heights under CPCB norms.

How DSTechnoverse Can Help in Odisha and Chhattisgarh

We take on AERMOD studies anywhere in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, working remotely from Indore with project data, layouts and review meetings handled online. Many of our studies are delivered as a white-label service for EIA consultancies in Bhubaneswar, Raipur and elsewhere, under the consultant's own report format. You receive a modelling report with source and emission tables, meteorological and terrain processing notes, isopleth maps for each pollutant and averaging period, cumulative results against NAAQS, and the input and output files. We also support baseline data work through our air quality analysis and EIA data analysis outsourcing services.

If your firm wants to run simpler screening studies in-house, ask for a free demo of AERMOD Studio, our browser-based AERMOD software for point sources over flat terrain, or a personalised version for your firm. Complex terrain, line sources and cumulative cluster studies are handled through our full modelling service. Contact us with your project details for a scope and timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Guides and Resources

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