December 02, 2008

NTPC Kaniha laden with fly ash disposal problem

SNS reported that, with a whopping 25 million tonne of fly ash deposit in its 2 ash ponds, the National Thermal Power Corporation Kaniha authorities are worried about how to dispose it off, in order to make way for future accumulation and realizing the emerging threat, the authorities are working out a plan for ash disposal.

It is reported that NTPC has asked the central mine planning and design institute limited to submit a feasibility report to backfill any of the abandoned coal mines by ash accumulation.

Unless ash deposits are removed from ponds, stretching over about 1,600 acres of land, the plant may face problems in disposing off its fly ash in the near future. The daily production of fly ash from the six 500MW units are said to be around 20,000 tonne.

The report cited a NTPC source as saying that “It is amazing that despite being the best quality ash due to boiler design no one takes it, while at other NTPC plants like in Farakka, there is a rush to lift it free of cost. For Farakka plant’s ash mafias are emerging to control its sale both in India and abroad.”

Mr Somenath Banerjee executive director of NTPC Kaniha plant said that “We are ready to market our ash which is best suitable for construction works, cement industry, land filling, mine void filling and for use in agriculture, but so far no response has come.” He added that a small amount of ash has been taken by the Dhenkanal based Utkal asbestos which is doing extremely well in the market an hopes that once people are aware of its application there would be no problem for disposal.