During the Corona period, power companies defaulted in the management of coal-fired ash, which has led to an increase in pollution. This has been claimed in a recent study. Actually, the coal companies did not properly manage this ash by taking advantage of the opportunity of lockdown in the Korana era and threw it wherever. 17 such cases have been reported in seven states.
According to this report titled Coal Ash in India – Volume 2: An Environmental Social and Legal Compendium of Coal Ash Miss Management in India 2020-21, the coal companies have imposed the lockdown due to Kovid-19 at their power plant. Used as an opportunity to throw Ash everywhere. The report covers data from April 2020 to March 2021.
According to the report released by Healthy Energy Initiative India and Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment Life, these cases are from 7 states Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Maharashtra. Among these, air pollution caused by the fragmentation of ash pond, throwing coal fly ash into rivers, other water streams and ponds and ponds are the most prominent, indicating how much the total fly ash management situation in India is is out of order. Most of these places are located in areas where disposal of coal fly ash is an all-time problem and leakages and accidents are common.
According to Pooja Kumar of Healthy Energy Initiative India, in a big city like Delhi, where people are enjoying the clear air and blue sky during the lockdown implemented due to Kovid-19, we have done things like Korba in Chhattisgarh and Ennore and Seppakkam in North Chennai Areas can also be seen where numerous accidents related to poor management of fly ash have been reported.
Social worker Shri Laxmi Chauhan of Korba, Chhattisgarh says that during the last one year, Korba has witnessed unprecedented levels of pollution in coal fly ash. We have been living here for the last several decades, but such a view has never been seen before. Fly ash piles can be seen along the entire highway and along the ring road and everywhere in the village. After the end of winter we see that the entire city is covered with fly ash and we are taking this ashes in our bodies with breath. Despite all the complaints, no action was taken against these guilty companies.
