China leads.....India follows

India is the third biggest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, with the state-owned NTPC topping the list of companies belching the deadly gas.

The Center for Global Development (CGD) said India figures third in the list of biggest Co2 emitters through power generation after China and the US.

Out of 638, 000,000 tonnes of Co2 emitted by India every year, NTPC accounts for 186, 000,000 tonnes, about 30% of the total gas release. The Talcher power plant in Orissa operated by the company has the notoriety of emitting the highest quantity of Co2.

As many as 16 power plants operated by NTPC, one of the Navaratna companies of Indian ore in CGD's 'red alert' category for spewing out the deadly gas. The findings part of a recent report on "China surpassing the US as the world's biggest emitter of CO2 from power generation' also name Russia, Germany, Japan, UK, Australia, South Africa and South Korea among the world's top-team power sector emitters in absolute terms.

The CGD said climate scientists warn that the amount of CO2 and other green- house gases in the atmosphere must be quickly stabilized to avert climate catastrophe.