Pollution board serves closure direction on four units of NTPC-Kaniha

Cracking the whip on National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for its inefficient ash management at its 3000 MW super thermal power plant at Kaniha, the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has slapped a closure direction on four units (4x500) of the power plant.

The closure direction served on NTPC's Kaniha follows the sliding of one of ash dykes of the company's ash pond. Peeved over the inaction of NTPC-Kaniha on ash management, the pollution watch dog has served the closure direction.

"We have served closure direction on four units of NTPC Kaniha plant. There was no proper ash management by the NTPC authorities despite repeated reminders of the pollution board. We had given sufficient time to the power station to come up with an effective ash management plan but it proved to be of no avail. The closure direction stands till the NTPC-Kaniha authorities come out with an effective ash management plan. We have directed them to carry the high density ash flurry to mine voids through pipeline as has been done by the same company for the Talcher Thermal Power Station”, said Siddhant Das, member secretary, OSPCB.

It may be noted that earlier this month, the ash dyke had slided, causing flow of slurry into the peripheral areas. The dyke of the ash pond-1 of the the 3000 MW Kaniha power plant slided by nine feet, causing slurry to flow outside in the periphery. The leakage due to sliding of the ash dyke was, however, limited to NTPC area without causing damage to private land or properties as the ash pond did not contain much water.