NGT forms panel to look into fly ash mismanagement
He plant has failed to put its fly ash to good use to build road and flyover embankments
National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a three-member committee over non-disposal of fly ash from Satpura Thermal Power Station Sarni as a construction material for roads and flyover embankments. The committee has been asked to submit its report within six weeks. The committee comprises a representative from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Integrated Office at Bhopal; a representative from CPCB, Bhopal and a Representative from Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board, Bhopal.
The green tribunal formed the committee following a petition over the violations of the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act by the thermal plant.
A petition pointed at the non-disposal of fly ash and bottom fly ash in construction of roads and flyover embankments which is required to be mandatorily used in the road constructions falling within 300km of the power house. Advocate Harshwardhan Tiwari, who filed the petition, said, “It is mandatory to use fly ash in road construction and flyover constructions within 300kms of the plant. But the same is not being done so we filed a petition in NGT.”
The petition highlighted the noncompliance by the Satpura Thermal Power Station Sarni for noncompliance of notification on disposal of fly ash.
VFly ash resulting from coal-based thermal power plants is one of the alarming and continuously increasing sources of pollution leading to degradation of soil, water and air. Fly ash generated from thermal power plants and industrial waste discharged into the streams or dumped into surrounding land causes serious water and soil pollution problems.