To help inform pollution control policies in the Indian electricity sector we estimate the health
damages associated with particulate matter, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from
individual coal-fired power plants. We calculate the damages per ton of pollutant for each of 89 plants
and compute total damages in 2008, by pollutant, for 63 plants. We estimate health damages by
combining data on power plant emissions of particulate matter, SO2 and NOx with reduced-form intake
fraction models that link emissions to changes in population-weighted ambient concentrations of fine
particles. Concentration-response functions for fine particles from Pope et al. (2002) are used to estimate
premature cardiopulmonary deaths associated with air emissions for persons 30 and older. Our results
suggest that 75 percent of premature deaths are associated with fine particles that result from SO2
emissions. After characterizing the distribution of premature mortality across plants we calculate the
health benefits and cost-per-life saved of the flue-gas desulfurization unit installed at the Dahanu power
plant in Maharashtra and the health benefits of coal washing at the Rihand power plant in Uttar Pradesh.