The Orissa government has decided to ask all the thermal power plants operating in the state to set up cement plants for utilisation of fly ash. The state will have more than 21 million tonnes of fly ash generated by thermal power plants in the coming years.
Worried over its adverse impact on the environment, the state government has decided to prepare a roadmap for shifting from earthen brick to fly ash brick for building purpose.
It is also considering a proposal to use fly ash for soil conditioning in agricultural field and for this purposed a core committee will be constituted by the agriculture department involving the scientists from Fly Ash Mission, Orissa University of Agriculture and other stakeholders, officials said. An expert committee will also be formed to examine the possibility of using fly ash in irrigation embankments.
“For every one tonne of coal that is used by a thermal power plant, 42 per cent is left as unburnt ash residue. Generation of 54,000 MW in the state by 2014 will require the burning of at least 270 million tonnes of coal every year which shall produce almost 113 million tonnes of ash. Only 32 per cent of ash generated in Orissa is now used for brick making, cement, road filling and embankments,” Orissa Wildlife Society secretary Biswajit Mohanty said on Thursday. Chief secretary Bijay Kumar Patnaik has asked the officials to explore various ways and means for utilisation of fly ash generated through the process of thermal power production. According to official sources, the utilisation rate of fly ash has shown an increasing trend. In 2005-06 and 2006-07, around 28 per cent of the total fly ash generated could be utilised. The utilisation rate increased to 35 per cent in 2008-09, 44 per cent in 2009-10 and 50 per cent in 2010-11 The chief secretary has suggested all concerned agencies to make all out effort for 100% utilisation of fly ash.