Air pollution from kolaghat thermal power emissions and its impact on public health in surrounding rural areas: The socio-ecological and economic interpretation

Emissions from thermal power stations have got a deleterious impact on the surrounding agro-ecosystem including rural health. The present study was carried out to elicit the facts and information regarding the detrimental effect caused by the Kolaghat thermal power station on people’s general health, which has been studied in the state of West Bengal. One hundred (100) respondents in total were selected from five villages of Kolaghat block of Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, following simple random sampling method. The statistical tools used for data analysis were correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, stepwise regression analysis, and path analysis. The correlation coefficients found that distance from the power plant is showcasing a significant relationship with impact on human health. Regression results implied that 16 causal variables together contributed 64.50 per cent of the variance in the consequent variable. Five out of sixteen independent variables have been retained in the last step of step-down regression analysis. The results of path analysis revealed that the variable distance from the power plant has got the highest indirect effect on the impact on human health due to emission (y). This empirical study has got tremendous policy implications for West Bengal and anywhere in India as well.