Emissions from coal plants resulted in 80,000 to 1,15,000 premature deaths and more than 20 million asthma cases in 2011-12 in the country, the Lok Sabha was informed Monday.
According to a report titled 'Coal Kills - An assessment of death and disease caused by India's dirtiest energy source', the coal-based plants quantified additional health impacts, such as hundreds of thousands of heart attacks.
The estimated monetary cost associated with these health impacts exceeded Rs.16,000 to Rs.23,000 crore per year, the report said.
The Central Pollution Control Board has said that steps have been taken to curb the pollution emission from such coal-based power plants.
Emphasis is placed on cleaner technology while granting environmental clearance to new coal-based thermal power plants, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury said in a written reply.
