**Subject: Summary of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3216 Regarding Ash Disposal by BALCO Power Plants in Korba, Chhattisgarh**
This document summarizes the response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3216, addressed on August 7, 2025, concerning the disposal of ash generated by Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) power plants in Korba district, Chhattisgarh.
BALCO operates two captive power plants in Korba: a 540 MW plant (4 x 135 MW units) and a 1200 MW plant (4 x 300 MW units).
To manage fly ash, the 540 MW plant has three silos with a capacity of 1000 MT each, and the 1200 MW plant has five silos with a capacity of 1000 MT each. These silos store fly ash in dry form for various uses, including mine void/low-lying area filling. An ash dyke facility is also located in Village Parsabhatha, Tehsil & District Korba.
Ash disposal occurs at the following locations:
1. Manikpur Open Cast Coal Mine, SECL, Korba Area, District Korba (mine void filling).
2. Village Ghatadwari, Tehsil Barpali, District Korba (mine quarry filling).
From April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, the 540 MW power plant generated 1,394,554.44 MT of ash, and the 1200 MW power plant generated 2,945,803.87 MT of ash.
The total ash dyke area is 151.75 hectares, with 93.46 hectares currently functional and 58.28 hectares exhausted and reclaimed.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Power: A ministry within the Government of India responsible for power generation and distribution.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India.
BALCO of Vedanta Group Bharat Aluminium Company Limited: A company operating power plants in Korba district, Chhattisgarh.
Korba district of Chhattisgarh: A district in the state of Chhattisgarh, India, where BALCO operates power plants.
Shripad Naik: The Minister of State in the Ministry of Power.
Manikpur Open Cast Coal Mine, SECL, Korba Area, DistictKorba: A coal mine in Korba district where ash is being dumped.
VillageParsabhatha, Tehsil DistrictKorba: Location of Ash Dyke.
VillageGhatadwari, TehsilBarpali, District Korba: Location of Mine quarry filling.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF POWER
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3216
ANSWERED ON 07.08.2025
DISPOSAL OF ASH BY POWER PLANTS
†3216. SMT. KAMLESH JANGDE:
Will the Minister of POWER
be pleased to state:
(a) the number of power plants being operated by BALCO of Vedanta Group
(Bharat Aluminium Company Limited) in Korba district of Chhattisgarh;
(b) whether any arrangements have been made for disposal of ash generated
from the coal used in these power plants;
(c) if so, the location of the places where the ash is being dumped;
(d) the total quantity of ash generated since the year 2024-25 till date; and
(e) the details of the land acquired for construction of ash dam?
A N S W E R
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER
(SHRI SHRIPAD NAIK)
(a) : M/s Bharat Aluminium Company Limited is currently operating two
captive power plants of capacity 540 MW (4x135 MW) and capacity 1200 MW
(4x300 MW) in Korba district of Chhattisgarh.
(b) : Total 03 Nos. silo of 1000 MT capacity each for 540 MW power plant and
05 Nos. silo of 1,000 MT capacity each for 1,200 MW thermal power plants have
been established to store fly ash in dry form and supply for various utilization
purposes including mine void/low lying area filling. In addition, facility of Ash
Dyke at Village-Parsabhatha, Tehsil & District-Korba has been created.
(c) : As informed by Govt. of Chhattisgarh, ash is being dumped at following
places :
1. Mine void filling at Manikpur Open Cast Coal Mine, SECL, Korba Area,
Distict-Korba.
2. Mine quarry filling at Village-Ghatadwari, Tehsil-Barpali, District -Korba.
(d) : The total quantity of ash generated from 540 MW power plant and 1200
MW power plant during the period from 01.04.2024 to 30.06.2025 is
13,94,554.44 MT and 29,45,803.87 MT respectively.
(e) : Total ash dyke area is 151.75 hectare (functional ash dyke area is 93.46
hectare and exhausted and reclaimed ash dyke area is 58.28 hectare).
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