THOOTHUKUDI: At a time the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has been urging the thermal power plants (TPPs) to ensure cent per cent disposal of fly ash, an RTI reply from the Thoothukudi Thermal Power Station (TTPS) has revealed that more than 5 lakh tonnes of fly ash remained unutilised at the plant in the financial year 2022-23.
According to the RTI response, the TTPS generated 11,91,823 tonnes of fly ash in the fiscal 2022-23. Over 6,88,162 tonnes have been distributed to industries, while 5,03,661 tonnes remained unused between April 2022 and March 2023. The TTPS allotted 3 lakh tonnes of fly ash for India Cements, 2 lakh tonnes for Chettinad Cements, and one lakh tonnes each for Dalmia Cements, Sundar Pozzo and Ultratech Cements, through e-auction for fiscal 2022-23. Further, Ultratech Cements was allotted 30,000 tonnes. The total allocation of fly ash through e-auction is 8.3 lakh tonnes, however, only 6.88 lakh tonnes have been disposed of, according to the RTI.
Fly ash generated out of power plants is considered an environmental hazard and the MoEF&CC has issued several notifications to reuse or recycle it into concrete products in order to reduce its impact on the environment.
Kebsiton, an activist, told TNIE that the power plant has been turning the fly ash into slurry form and discharging it into the sea, causing severe environmental damage to the Gulf of Mannar. Once crabs were fished from the coast off TTPS, but now the shore is bereft of the species.
Meanwhile, fly ash brick manufacturers said even though an advisory from the Ministry of Power dated February 22, 2022, allows TPPs to distribute fly ash for free when the plants have unutilised ashes, the authorities of the plants did not provide it to the brick manufacturers. "We have demanded the fly ash in vain several times. Within a 300-km radius of the TTPS, there are over 107 fly ash brick manufacturers who have the capacity to utilise 18,830 tonnes of fly ash per month," they said.
A brick production unit owner, wishing anonymity, alleged that the authorities used to demand money for the fly ash during the time when V Senthil Balaji was the electricity minister. "Due to this, many production units had stopped demanding the fly ash," he said and added that the situation has changed now.
Speaking to TNIE, a top official denied the allegation of letting fly ash into the sea. The ash fetches a revenue of `3.5 crore to `5 crore every month, he said, adding that the supposed volume of fly ash generated from the electrostatic precipitators (ESP) is mostly theoretical. "Fly ash is distributed by TTPS to all the brick manufacturers after receiving a letter of authorisation from the respective district collectors," he said.