Government issues draft norms on fly ash disposal by power plants

Power plants will have to supply fly ash free of cost to nearby construction units if the generation units are not able to dispose of ash through other means, the environment ministry has proposed in a draft notification.

The power units will have to issue notices to nearby user industries informing them about surplus fly ash. Construction units within 300-km radius of coal and lignite power plants will be responsible for utilisation of the fly ash in case they have not already tied up from other suppliers, according to the draft norms circulated for stakeholders’ comments.

The draft notification has also proposed penalties of Rs 1,500 per tonne on the fly ash user industries for non-compliance and Rs 1,000 per tonne on power generators if the residue is not disposed in time.


Power generation units will have to bear the expenses too for transportation of fly ash to private and public agencies engaged in activities like road laying, shoreline protection structures in coastal districts and dams, a senior government official said.