According to Mr Ranjan Panda Convenor WIO, the recent fly ash pond and mount breach disasters have concerned each and every citizen of the state.

Fly ash from coal fired power plants is toxic and cancerous. It is already impacting lakhs of acres of farm fields, severely polluting our water resources, poisoning our food and creating other menace. There is an urgent need to regulate ‘fly ash generation and pollution’ in the state.

He further added that “This meeting was organised to devise a strategy by the concerned people and organisations of the state to push for an urgent fly ash management policy for the state”

Eminent environmentalist Professor Arttabandhu Mishra said “At least 22 heavy metals are there in the fly ash and 18 of them are cancerous that lead to lungs, bone and other cancers in both humans and animals. By declaring fly ash as a saleable commodity and the Government. Of India has cleared the door to spread cancer in all the places where coal fired plants are there.”

Mr Rabindra Prasad Pattnaik President of CAF said “None of the power plants are confirming to the pollution control regulations of the country. Each of them is supposed to submit a Plan of Action to the government with regard to fly ash management. However, none do it.”

It was felt by the participants that “The fly ash management issue cannot be looked into in isolation of the power plants and aluminium smelters. The land, water and forest resources of the state cannot sustain the amount of coal fired power plants and the government must not go ahead with the envisaged 75000 MW generation.”

This plan will mean at least 30 acres of land will take fly ash Samadhi per day in the state if all the fly ash mounts are made of 30 feet height it was calculated. This will take away livelihood of lakhs of farmers and fisher folks. The participants therefore urged upon the government to immediately scrap the blind push for coal fired power plants.

Source - Orissadiary

(www.coalguru.com)