NSPCL sitting on Ash Pond project

ROURKELA: Eight months after massive amount of toxic fly ash posed threat to the Brahmani river, the NTPC-SAIL Power Company Ltd (NSPCL), located inside Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), is yet to  come up with a feasible measure for scientific disposal of fly ash. Set up in March 2001, the joint venture company of the two PSUs has reportedly not given any serious thought to construct a fly ash pond. Although some work was initiated, it got stuck in land acquisitionproblem.NSPCL’s two thermal power units generate 120 MW of electricity for RSP and discharge around 1,000 tonnes of fly ash daily. As of now, the fly ash effluents get dumped inside RSP. After much pressure from various sectors, the NSPCL has identified around 100 acres at Barkani near RSP’s second SAIL stockyard and soil testing was done. But the proposal continues to hang fire as some local residents raised objection. Usually the fly ash arrested by the electro static precipitators gets mixed with water to form slurry which is unscientifically dumped. When dried, it returns to its earlier state to pose environmental concerns. RSP’s recognised trade union, the INTUC-affiliated Rourkela Shramik Sangh general secretary MDN Panickar accused the NSPCL management of showing no environmental concern. He claimed it had done nothing in the past one decade and even the State Pollution Control Board continues to be ineffective. Panickar said fly ash contents are finding their way into the atmosphere and reaches the Brahmani  through the Kuradi nullah from the dump yards.  Sundargarh Collector Rupa Roshan Sahu said the Consent to Operate has been extended to NSPCL till March 31. She asserted that fly ash contents have to be recycled fully and further violation of norms would lead to closure of the industry. Recently, RSP’s MP Boiler-3 was closed for days. So how is NSPCL utilising its fly ash? It has written to various clients and only a small amount is procured by fly ash brick units. On July 22 last, tonnes of fly ash formed into slush and razed RSP boundary wall to choke the Hecket Road. It even touched the banks of the Brahmani river. The district administration heaved a sigh of relief on finding that the Brahmani water was not contaminated.