BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Wednesday launched a mobile application for real-time tracking and monitoring of fly ash transportation in the state.
Outgoing chief secretary Manoj Ahuja unveiled the app developed by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) in collaboration with IIT Bhubaneswar.
OSPCB member secretary Uma Nanduri said the application has already been tested in field and it will initially be implemented in four power plants - Aditya Aluminium, Lapanga, JSW Bhushan Ltd, Thelkoloi, Vedanta Ltd, Jharsuguda and Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC), Banharpali. The implementation will subsequently be extended to other power plants, she said.
Officials said the application employs a three-tier operational structure involving power plants, drivers and regional officers. Key technical features of the mobile app include real-time tracking by GPS, QR-code verification, geo-fenced routes, verified trip closure and alert generations for deviation. The fly ash transporting trucks will start from the thermal power plants after scanning two sets of QR codes at the plant exit gate so that each trucks and its destination is recorded online.
“The movement of the trucks will be geo-fenced so as to prevent dumping of fly ash at unauthorised places. Trips closure will be automatically done at the geo-fenced destination and a photograph of the empty truck uploaded,” OSPCB officials said.
They said the application will help curb significant environmental threats posed by indiscriminate and illegal dumping of fly ash. “By using real-time dashboards and automatic alerts, OSPCB can intervene immediately to prevent environmental violations,” the officials added.
Apart from the mobile application, the state government has recently also issued a new standard operating procedure (SOP) to fill up low-lying areas with fly ash for land reclamation. The SOP has put the onus on the generator - industries or thermal power plants (TPPs) - for violation of the compliance process.