Management and Utilisation of Fly Ash in India - NGT instructions

India will now get a ‘Fly Ash Management and Utilisation Mission’, as ordered by the NGT

Management and Utilisation of Fly Ash in India - NGT instructions

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• The story: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed to form a ‘Fly Ash Management and Utilisation Mission’. Fly ash is an unwanted unburnt residue of coal combustion in a coal thermal power plant. It is emitted along with flue gases during the burning of coal. It remains a problem in pollution control.
• Fly Ash: As said, it is an unwanted unburnt residue of coal combustion in a coal thermal power plant, emitted along with flue gases during the burning of coal. The fly ash collected with the help of electrostatic precipitators is converted into a wet slurry to minimise fugitive dust emissions and then transported to the scientifically designed ash ponds through slurry pipelines. It includes substantial amounts of silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide (Al2O3), ferric oxide (Fe2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO). It resembles Portland cement but is chemically different. Its chemical composition includes calcium silicates, calcium aluminate and calcium aluminoferrite. It exhibits cementitious (that hardens when mixed with water) properties. It is used in concrete and cement products, roads and mineral filler.
• Harmful effects of fly ash: ITs particles are toxic air pollutants, that can trigger heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases and stroke. When combined with water they cause leaching of heavy metals in ground water. It also pollutes the soil, and affects the root development system of trees. Under-utilisation of this by-product over the years has led to the accumulation of 1,670 million tonnes of fly ash.
• Order by the NGT: The order takes note of the ‘unscientific handling and storage’ of the fly ash by coal thermal power stations. The Mission will hold its first meeting within one month to assess the fly ash management situation in coal power plants It will prepare action plans to build road maps for ash utilisation by individual plants. The aim of the mission is to ‘coordinate and monitor issues relating to the handling and disposal of fly ash and associated issues.’
• About ‘Fly Ash Management and Utilisation Mission’: The Mission is to be jointly headed by the secretaries of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Union Ministry of Coal and Power, keeping on board chief secretaries of respective states where the mission is being implemented. The secretary of MoEF&CC will be the nodal agency for coordination and compliance. Fly Ash Notification 2021 was issued under the Environment (Protection) Act 1986. The non-compliant power plants will be imposed with an environmental compensation of Rs 1,000 per tonne on unutilised ash during the end of every financial year. The amount, collected by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) from the thermal power plants, will be used towards the safe disposal of the unutilised ash. It may also be utilised for advancing research on use of ash including ash-based products. In cases where fly ash is being used in various activities, power plants will have to deliver fly ash at project sites free of cost but charge for ash cost and transportation as per mutually agreed terms, in case it is able to dispose of the ash through other means.
• Summary: Prohibiting dumping and disposal of fly ash discharged from coal or lignite based thermal power plants on land or into water bodies, the Centre has made it mandatory for such plants to ensure 100% utilization of ash in an eco-friendly manner, and introduced for the first time a penalty regime for non-compliance based on 'polluter pays' principle.
• EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) Explain the purpose of ‘Fly Ash Management and Utilisation Mission’. (2) What are the impediments in disposing of the huge quantities of discarded wastes like fly-ash which are continuously being generated? How do we remove safely the toxic wastes that have been accumulating in our habitable environment?

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