BHUBANESWAR: The State has achieved 81 per cent utilisation of fly ash generated during the year 2017-18. Taking a company-wide review of the fly ash utilisation status, Chief Secretary AP Padhi directed them to prepare an actual ground-level plan for accomplishing 100 per cent (pc) utilisation of the generated ash during 2018-19. The fly ash generating companies were asked to display the stock in their websites.
They were directed to provide transport-free fly ash for rural roads under PMGSY and other asset creation projects of the Government within 300 km of distance from their plants.
The free delivery of fly ash will be limited to 100 km for other projects including manufacturers of bricks. Delivery of fly ash beyond 100 to 300 km would be on cost-sharing basis for manufacturing and other commercial projects. Each of the company was directed to submit an action plan for full utilisation in 2018-19.
“We are regularly monitoring 40 thermal power plants of more than 10 MW capacity. Fly ash utilisation in the State is at an increasing rate,” said Member Secretary of Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) Debidatta Biswal after the meeting.In 2016-17, around 32 million tonne of ash was generated by different thermal power companies against which around 68 pc was utilised. This was higher than the national utilisation average of 63 pc, Biswal said.
The utilisation has gone up to around 81 pc against almost the same amount of generation (32 million tonne) in 2017-18. It is expected that the total generation during the current year would be around 32 million tonne. Efforts would be made to ensure 100 pc utilisation during the current year, he added.
Around 77 pc of fly ash is being utilised in brick manufacturing, cement production, asbestos making, quarry filling, mine void filling, land development, dyke raising and road making.
Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan said 100 pc utilisation of the dangerous fly ash is obligatory on part of the companies. Apart from traditional ways of utilisation, the companies must identify new avenues for utilisation of greater amount of ash.
