MANAGEMENT OF FLY ASH OF KOLAGHAT THERMAL POWER STATION, PURBA MEDINIPUR, WEST BENGAL

Coal is India’s most abundant resource, and it will continue to play a pivotal role in the country over the upcoming decades.
There currently exist in India 82 coal-fired power plants. Fly ash is, alone, a waste product and its responsible disposal poses a huge
problem. From each power station, thousands of tons of fly ash are pumped into the ash ponds in the form of slurry (fly ash mixed with
water) every day; these ponds occupy thousands of hectares of agricultural land all over India. Kolaghat Thermal Power Station
(KTPS) is the second largest thermal power station in West Bengal. Huge amount of ash from this plant is disposed off in surrounding
land and water bodies leading to air, water and soil pollution. Overflow of pond ash towards residential areas is causing unnecessary
human exposure and has serious health risks due to the high content of heavy metals. The villagers are even more affected when
monsoon season begins, as the ash is deposited in the fields and farmers use ash-laden water to irrigate. This has an adverse affect on
agricultural productivity and blocks the drainage system. Proper management of fly ash is required to avoid environmental disasters
in near future.