See Full Document Text
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2747
TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026
Fly Ash Utilization in Chhattisgarh
2747. SMT. JYOTSNA CHARANDAS MAHANT:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:
(a) the details of the 'environmental compensation' imposed and collected from power plants
in Chhattisgarh that failed to meet the 100 per cent fly ash utilization target as per the
December 2021 notification;
(b) the quantity of 'legacy ash' accumulated in the ash ponds of Korba district during the last
three years and the timeline for its scientific disposal;
(c) whether the Government has conducted any physical verification of the data provided by
the power plants on the 'ASHTRACK' app to prevent illegal dumping in forest areas and
tribal settlements; and
(d) whether the Government has any proposal to allocate the fines collected from these plants
directly to the local Environment and Health Fund of Korba instead of the Centre, in order
to compensate for the damage caused to agriculture and public health in the region?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE
CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a): Ash Utilization Notification, 2021 notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on 31.12.2021 mandates the coal or lignite based Thermal Power
Plants (TPPs) to achieve 100% utilisation of ash, including fly ash and bottom ash, in the
prescribed eco-friendly purposes and as per prescribed timelines.
As reported by Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB), no environmental
compensation has been imposed on TPPs located in Chattisgarh as there is no non-compliance in
regard to ash utilization targets during the first compliance cycle of 3 years (from FY 2022-23 to
FY 2024-25).(b): Under the Notification, TPPs have been mandated to utilise the unutilised accumulated
ash i.e. legacy ash, ash which is stored before 01.04.2022, progressively in such a manner that the
utilization of legacy ash is completed fully within ten years from 01.04.2022.
As reported by CECB, non-operational ash dykes in Korba District of Chhattisgarh have been
reclaimed by the respective TPPs, except ash dyke in Hasdeo Thermal Power Station (HTPS) of
Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company Limited (CSPGCL). The total quantity of ‘legacy
ash’ accumulated in the ash dyke is 210.64 lakh Metric Tonnes (MT).
(c): ASHTRACK is a mobile application launched by the Ministry of Power to manage and
track fly ash generated by thermal power plants.
Under the Ash Utilization Notification, 2021, TPPs have been mandated to upload the monthly
information regarding ash generation and utilization on the web portal developed by CPCB.
TPPs have also been mandated to submit the annual implementation report to CPCB, concerned
State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)/Pollution Control Committee (PCC), Central Electricity
Authority (CEA) and concerned Integrated Regional Office of MoEF&CC.
In addition, annual compliance audit for ash disposal by TPPs is conducted through auditors
authorized by CPCB, and the audit report is to be submitted to CPCB and concerned SPCB/PCC
by 30th November every year.
(d): Under the Ash Utilization Notification, 2021, the environmental compensation collected
from the TPPs and other defaulters is to be used towards the safe disposal of the unutilised ash
and the fund may also be utilised for advancing research on use of ash including ash based
products. As there is no environmental compensation imposed on TPPs located in Chattisgarh,
question regarding allocation of environmental compensation does not arise.
****