Jajpur: Unused fly ash produced from the coal-based thermal power plants of various industrial firms has allegedly contributed to serious atmospheric pollution in Odisha.
Reports said that the Odisha Forest and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh while replying in the State Assembly has said that the coal based power plants have produced over 22,82,38,135 metric tonne (MT) of fly ash during from 2012-13 till 2019-20. The minister was replying to a question posed by MLA Naba Charan Majhi in the State Assembly.
Out of the total fly-ash produced 16,05,98,673 MT have been utilised in road construction, heightening of embankments and in manufacturing of bricks while 6,76,39,462 MT have remained unutilised.
The huge volume of fly-ash remaining unutlised has contributed to atmospheric pollution in the state. However, the Odisha government has no detailed knowledge where the unutilised fly ash has been dumped. It has sparked fear on the industrial waste contributing polluting the atmosphere. Reports of farmlands in Sambalpur and Jharsuguda district getting damaged due to breach of embankment of fly ash pond is not new.
This is indicative that the industrial firms are not implementing the guidelines of Centre regarding use of fly ash. The minister however, admitted that rules are being followed in Kalinganagar industrial area.
It is alleged that air pollution has assumed an alarming proportions due to fly ash produced from various factories in Odisha. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued a notification February 15, 2019 in this regard.
The notification directs not to establish clay brick kilns within 300 km radius of the thermal power plants but instead to establish fly ash brick kiln for proper use of the waste produced. It was also said that these power plants will supply raw materials as per the requirement of fly ash brick kilns functioning within their periphery. Accordingly, fly ash produced by the thermal power plants has been in use in manufacturing of fly ash bricks from 2012-13.
Similarly, the thermal power plant of Jindal Stainless Steel has produced 5,98,355 MT of fly ash while 68,275 MT was produced by Visa Steel. The fly ash produced has been used in road construction, manufacturing of fly-ash bricks, cement and in levelling of fallow land. The plants where fly ash is stored is being utilised in phases, Arukh said in his reply in the State Assembly.
The state government has relaxed rules for the fly-ash manufacturing units functioning in the interior areas of Odisha. The state government has said that these units do not require any consent letter of ten state pollution control board to operate.
However, many kiln owners complained of not getting fly ash for manufacturing of bricks. When contacted, Pramod Kumar Behera, regional officer of SPCB said that industrial houses in Kalinganagar are providing fly ash on the basis of rules framed by the Union government.
PNN