Thermal power plants must undergo annual fly ash audits, CPCB submits before NGT

The CPCB informed the NGT that thermal power plants must undergo regular compliance audits for fly ash utilisation and disposal. These audits check whether plants and user agencies are managing ash according to the Union Environment Ministry’s 2021 Ash Utilisation Notification and later amendments. The requirement matters because plants must use ash in environmentally sound ways, rather than leave it unmanaged.

The audits cover fly ash management by thermal power plants and user agencies. They must be conducted by auditors authorised by the CPCB. The CPCB said it has authorised 124 auditors for this work. Audit reports must reach the CPCB and the relevant State Pollution Control Boards by November 30 every year.

The submission followed an NGT case brought by the Tamil Nadu Fly Ash Brick and Blocks Manufacturers Association. The CPCB also said it issued directions to non-compliant plants on June 12 and July 3, requiring plants that missed targets during the first three years to meet prescribed requirements within the stipulated period.

Fly ash is the fine, powdery residue left after coal or lignite burns in a thermal power plant. It is carried from the boiler with combustion gases and collected through pollution-control equipment. The article focuses on ensuring that this ash is used or managed in an environmentally sound way. This matters because large quantities can otherwise accumulate around power plants.

Unmanaged ash can become airborne as dust and may pollute soil or water if stored poorly. Its composition depends on the fuel and combustion process, so safe handling and approved uses are important. The notification therefore places responsibility on plants to manage the ash they generate, rather than treating disposal as someone else’s task.

The article does not provide a chemical composition or a specific pollution incident. It does state that permitted uses include bricks, blocks, cement, and other approved applications. Annual audits are intended to check whether plants and user agencies are meeting the required management standards.

The 2021 Ash Utilisation Notification and later amendments require thermal power plants to achieve 100% fly ash utilisation over the prescribed compliance cycle. They must also meet a minimum annual target of 80%. These requirements push plants to plan for complete use of the ash they generate, instead of allowing stockpiles or disposal to grow.

For example, a plant must meet at least the annual threshold during each year and ultimately reach full utilisation across the compliance cycle. The CPCB said a plant that fails to meet the prescribed targets is liable to pay environmental compensation of ₹1,000 for every tonne of unutilised ash. The charge is linked directly to the quantity left unused.

The article does not state the total amount of ash generated by individual plants or the length of the compliance cycle. It does state that plants failing during the first three years were directed to meet the prescribed requirements within the stipulated period. Audits check these outcomes and support enforcement.

The notification allows fly ash to be used in products and applications approved under the rules. The article specifically names bricks, blocks, and cement. These uses matter because they provide practical destinations for ash generated by coal and lignite-based thermal power plants, supporting utilisation rather than leaving the material for disposal.

A concrete example is the manufacture of fly ash bricks and blocks, the activity represented by the Tamil Nadu Fly Ash Brick and Blocks Manufacturers Association in the NGT petition. Cement production is another permitted use identified in the article. The key mechanism is that plants must ensure environmentally sound utilisation of the ash they generate, including through approved user agencies.

The article does not list every approved application or explain technical standards for each product. It does establish that plants and user agencies are subject to compliance audits. Their reports must be submitted annually to the CPCB and the respective State Pollution Control Boards, helping authorities check whether approved uses are actually occurring.

Responsibility begins with coal and lignite-based thermal power plants. Under the notification, each plant must ensure the environmentally sound utilisation of the fly ash it generates. This makes the generator accountable for the ash’s management, including finding approved uses and meeting the required utilisation targets.

The audits themselves are not conducted by the plants. They must be carried out by auditors authorised by the CPCB, and the audits cover fly ash management by both thermal power plants and user agencies. The CPCB informed the NGT that it had authorised 124 auditors for this exercise. Their reports must be submitted to the CPCB and the respective State Pollution Control Boards by November 30 each year.

This arrangement separates responsibility from verification. Plants manage and utilise their ash, while authorised auditors examine compliance and report the results. The CPCB also said it issued directions under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, to plants that failed to comply with the prescribed requirements.

A thermal power plant that misses the prescribed fly ash utilisation targets faces financial and regulatory consequences. The CPCB said such plants are liable to pay environmental compensation of ₹1,000 for every tonne of unutilised ash. The amount therefore rises with the quantity left unused and makes failure to utilise ash financially measurable.

The enforcement mechanism also includes formal directions. The CPCB said it issued directions to non-compliant plants under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, on June 12 and July 3 this year. Plants that had failed during the first three years of the compliance cycle were directed to meet the prescribed requirements within the stipulated period.

The article does not state whether any plant had paid a particular compensation amount or faced closure. It does show that non-compliance triggers both compensation liability and corrective directions. Annual audits and reports to pollution-control authorities provide the basis for checking performance and pursuing further action.

Burning coal in a thermal power plant creates more than greenhouse-gas emissions because combustion produces solid residues and can release pollutants with the exhaust gases. Fly ash is the fine residue collected from that process. If it is not properly contained, transported, used, or stored, it can become a dust problem and may affect surrounding soil or water.

The article concentrates on the ash-management response rather than listing every pollutant from coal combustion. It requires coal and lignite-based plants to ensure environmentally sound utilisation. Approved destinations include bricks, blocks, cement, and other applications. Compliance audits examine whether plants and user agencies are following those requirements.

This broader pollution concern explains why the rules cover both utilisation and disposal. Plants must meet 80% utilisation annually and 100% over the prescribed compliance cycle. Failure can bring compensation of ₹1,000 per tonne of unutilised ash, while authorised auditors and pollution-control boards monitor compliance.