India improved fly ash utilisation to 67% in 2017-18

New Delhi: As per the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the utilisation of fly ash has increased from 66.6 million ton (MT) in 2008-09 to 132 MT in 2017-18. In the year 2017- 18, the overall utilisation of fly ash in various applications was 67 percent, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Babul Supriyo said in a written response in the Lok Sabha on July 12.

Segment-specific numbers

The utilisation of fly ash was 25.6 percent in the cement sector, 10.48 percent in the reclamation of low-lying area, 9.01 percent in brick and tiles, 6.9 percent in ash dyke raising, 6.37 percent in mines backfilling, 3.4 percent in roads and flyovers, 0.66 percent in concrete, 0.29 percent in agriculture.

Supriyo said that an Expert Committee led by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has prepared an action plan for enhanced utilisation of fly ash in various sectors like fly-ash based bricks/tiles, roads, cement, mines backfilling etc.

How is government improving fly ash utilisation?

The Ministry of Power has reconstituted the task force to review and recommend a list of abandoned mines/quarries in the country for mine backfilling. The Central Pollution Control Board has prepared guidelines for disposal /utilisation of fly ash for reclamation of low-lying areas and in stowing of abandoned mines/quarries, the minister said.

"In pursuance of NGT order dated 20.11.2018, MoEF&CC has constituted a Joint Committee to review the fly ash utilisation and finalise an action plan to achieve 100 percent utilisation of fly ash generated from each Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) in an environmentally sound manner," Supriyo said.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has also been mandated for compulsory use of fly ash in their projects.