From ashes to abundance

Fly Ash is an environmental hazard in Delhi which has somehow escaped the attention of the environmentalists. The media too has focused rather inadequately on it. Fly ash, which consists of silica, alumina and oxides of iron, calcium and magnesium, is the waste generated by thermal power plants. It is the most undesirable part of coal, which causes erosion, corrosion and creates environmental pollution. Fly ash is a serious source of pollution in air since it can be air borne for a very long period. This causes a serious health hazard in the form of throat and respiratory troubles and a burning sensation in the eyes. It also reduces the longevity of human life. Fly ash contributes to a great degree in reducing the fertility of land and contaminating the surface and sub-surface water. Besides, it occupies a large amount of scarce land. It silts up the natural draining system by flowing in wet form, and also reduces the pH balance and portability of water. Many toxic effects of fly ash have also been observed. In Delhi, over 400 acres of cultivable land has been rendered useless by fly ash. Of this, Badarpur Thermal Power Station alone accounts for over 80 per cent. Of about 70 thermal power stations all over the country, three are in Delhi itself. While driving down from Nizammudin Bridge towards ITO, one can see a considerable area along the Yamuna covered with very fine fly ash, which is dumped here by the Indraprastha Thermal Power Station. Often, commuters encounter a grayish haze in and around the area stretching from ITO to Nizammudin Bridge. This haze is produced whenever a breeze, even a mild one, ruffles the fly ash dumps. To keep this haze at bay, thermal power plants in India spend crores of rupees annually to maintain the dumping sites. They do so by keeping the fly ash dumping grounds wet, either through sprinklers, or by hiring agencies to water the grounds. However, wetting dumps to prevent the ash from creating a haze around is not the solution, since seepage contaminates the underground water. In most construction activities, fly ash needs to transported to another site, usually miles away, which itself has its hazards. So where does that leave us? A bio-technological intervention from Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) has provided an effective solution to the problem. A fly ash site can not only be totally reclaimed, but a viable, commercial activity like floriculture and silviculture can be cultivated on it. By introducing a mycorrhizal fungi-based organo-bio-fertilizer, TERI researchers have reclaimed a part of on ash pond in BTPS. "We took up the challenge because we knew that microbial introduction in the form of mycorrhizae will be able to revive virgin sites like these. Mycorrhizal fungi renewed the biological activity in fly ash-infected wastelands. Moreover, this technological intervention is highly cost-effective,'' says Alok Adholeya of the Centre for Mycorrhizal Research,TERI. Marigolds, tuberose, gladiolus, carnations and sunflowers, and a variety of trees like poplar, sheesham and eucalyptus now grow at the demonstration site of BTPS. The successful growth of economically viable plants was made possible only by introducing mycorrhizae to the plants. As the fungus germinates, drawing sustenance from the partner plant, it quickly spreads to the roots and beyond. It improves the plant's water and nutrient uptake, helps in the development of roots and soil-binding, stores carbohydrates and oils for use when needed, protects the plants from soil-borne diseases, and detoxifies contaminated soils. This way, both the air and water pollution are taken care of, the wasteland once again springs to life and thermal power plants save a considerable amount, which they would otherwise spend on maintaining the sites. Millions of litres of precious water too is saved from going down the fly ash slurries. BTPS, which was initially so eager in extending a helping hand, has now become the largest stumbling block on the way to finding a sustainable solution to the fly ash problem. Instead of taking the lead in facilitating other power stations to follow its example, it still has about 40,000 tonnes of ash to deal with. Interestingly, Government of India, through the Ministry of Power, constituted a task force to evolve a strategy to boost up fly ash utilization. Incentives like land and electricity at concessional rates have been proposed to encourage entrepreneurs. What the government also needs to do, however, is to strictly enforce its existing notification that within 60 km of the thermal power plants, fly ash alone is to be utilized for making brick, sand and other construction material. This shift from clay brick making will also save the ecosystem from massive damage.