Fly ash disposal in Aravalis: NGT seeks thermal plant’s reply on compliance

Gurgaon: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd (HPGCL) to submit a fresh affidavit on disposal of old fly ash in the Aravalis after the closure of the Faridabad thermal power station. Saying that nothing has been pointed out to show that the norms have been complied with, the tribunal stated that the affidavit should clarify if the old fly ash dyke meets all conditions mentioned in the relevant provisions.“Let this affidavit be filed within a period of four weeks,” stated the NGT order by a bench comprising chairperson Prakash Shrivastava, judicial magistrates Sudhir Agarwal and Arun Kumar Tyagi, and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad. The order came while the bench was hearing a petition by a Faridabad resident, Ajay Shrivastava, which stated that even years after the closure of the powerhouse in the city’s Bata Chowk, the fly ash it generated has not been removed from the area.The next hearing is on July 26.Fly ash is formed after combustion of coal in thermal power plants and is generally stored in dykes (retaining structures built to contain ash). Disposal of fly ash in forest areas is a violation of the Aravali Notification, 1992. Ash dykes cause air pollution and groundwater and surface contamination.“The tribunal had directed the competent authority of HPGCL to re-examine the timeline for complete disposal of fly ash at the new ash dyke… So far as the old fly ash dyke is concerned, learned counsel for HPGCL has placed reliance upon the notification dated 31.12.2021 and has submitted that since the said fly ash dyke has been stabilised, it is not required to be cleared,” the order further stated.Following the NGT’s instructions, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) conducted an inspection on July 31 last year. The board’s report confirmed the presence of two ash dykes in the Aravalis.One of them, the old ash dyke, is spread across 103 acres. It was filled in 1987 and is currently covered with plantation after deposition of a layer of soil. The other is spread across 152 acres, where lifting of ash is in progress now.The report disclosed that no lifting of fly ash took place between 2018 to 2022. Now, the work has been awarded to two agencies. Till June 30 last year, approximately 8 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of fly ash was lifted. Approximately 10 lakh MT fly ash is yet to be lifted.HSPCB also informed NGT that the entire remaining fly ash at the second ash dyke will be lifted by June 21, 2026.Meanwhile, HPGCL officials said the contract has already been awarded to two agencies for clearing the entire fly ash from the new dyke. “The new dyke will be cleared within the timeline, which is Dec 31 next year.”Inhalation or ingestion of the toxins in fly ash can have impacts on the nervous system, causing cognitive defects, developmental delays, and behavioral problems while also increasing a person’s chances of developing lung disease, kidney disease, and gastrointestinal illness, according to environmentalists.