THOOTHUKUDI: Tamil Nadu Fly Ash Bricks and Blocks Manufacturers Association has urged the State government to allot 30% of the dry fly ash generated from Thoothukudi Thermal Power Station (TTPS) to manufacturers free of cost as against the former allotment of 20%.
Founder-president of the association DS Saravanan said the TTPS had not renewed allotment orders for as many as 120 fly ash brick manufacturers from April 1 despite the Ministry of Environment and Forest's notifications mandating the provision of at least 20% of dry fly ash to brick manufacturers on a priority basis.
According to Tulasiraman, president of the association, the TTPS, having five units of 210 MW capacity each, daily generates at least 3,500 tonnes of dry fly ash. While 80% of the dry fly ash is sold through e-auction to cement manufacturing units, the remaining 20% is stored in an ash dyke near the sea.
As the thermal power plant had not released dry ash for over six months, the State government should insist on the renewal of the allotment order for the downstream fly ash brick manufacturing units, and increase the disposal rate to 30%, the association members demanded.