Fly ash produced by thermal power plants harmful: Scientists

Even as new power units coming up in Punjab, scientists today expressed concern that fly ash emitted by coal-fired power plants would be harmful for people and said that nuclear power would be a better option.
"The number of casualties due to nuclear plants disasters are less as compared to deaths due to fly ash. We have two or three incidents of uranium leakage, but people have been inhaling uranium content which is included in fly ash," said Samrath lal Chaplot of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
"It (fly ash) is just like the slow poison as we have been inhaling invisible content," S K Gupta, Head Technical (physics division), Homi Bhabaha National Institute.

Gupta claimed nuclear power plants are safer than thermal power plants as far as human health is concerned.
When asked about traces of uranium substance found in hair samples of some residents of Punjab, Gupta said it was yet to be established whether the uranium content was found due to fly ash or due to extensive use of pesticides.
Gupta, however, asserted that uranium content existed in fly ash emitted by thermal power plants.
He expressed fear that uranium substance of ash could enter human body after mixing with water. "People of Kerala have been also facing similar problem," he said as an example.