Coal ash: Karnataka draws up plan to avoid penalty

Faced with the challenge of clearing more than 40 lakh tonnes of legacy ash in its thermal plants within the 10-year deadline set by the Union environment ministry, the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) is drawing up plans to ensure compliance and avoid penalties.

Of the two types of ash generated during the burning of coal in the power plants, fly ash, which is made of fine particles, is purchased at around Rs 400 per tonne by cement and brick industries. However, officials have struggled to dispose of pond ash which contains coarse materials and has very low demand.

The pollution caused by coal ash, which contains heavy metals, has drawn the attention of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The tribunal had imposed penalty of up to Rs 5 crore on some private plants failing to dispose of the ash.

In 2018, the tribunal had told the state governments and the Centre to ensure that the ash generated everyday is scientifically disposed. Ever since, the three state-owned thermal plants in Karnataka have been making efforts to clear the ash generated on a daily basis.

The Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change issued a draft notification in April directing “unutilised accumulated ash shall be utilised progressively within 10 years.” after the states expressed concern over meeting the deadline of five years set in the previous draft.

For KPCL officials, the challenge lies in disposing about 41 lakh metric tonne of pond ash that has accumulated over the years. Besides the coarse particles, pond ash is wet and requires a drying process and therefore not preferred by many industries.

“At the present rate of disposal, it will require over 32 years to clear the accumulated mounds. We are now calling expression of interest from companies for grinding and drying the pond ash, following which we anticipate more demand and hope to sell about 2.1 lakh tonne per month,” a senior official in KPCL told DH.

He said an upcoming cement plant near the Raichur Thermal Power Station is expected to buy an additional one lakh tonne. “We are exploring additional sectors including road construction, to meet the deadline set by the Centre,” the official said.

The countdown will begin after the final notification from the Union ministry, which is expected to come in the next few months. “For us, the clock has already begun ticking. We hope to award the tender to grind and dry the pond ash before the final notification,” he added.

While the pond ash is sold at Rs 40 per tonne, officials expect the grinding to boost the price thereby avoiding the need for the government to make large investment. “The higher price will compensate the company which sets up the grinding plant,” a source said.