Lok Sabha Question No. 2747 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-09
Subject: Fly Ash Utilization in Chhattisgarh
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Smt. Jyotsna Charandas Mahant

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2747

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2026

## Fly Ash Utilization in Chhattisgarh

## 2747. SMT. JYOTSNA CHARANDAS MAHANT:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the 'environmental compensation' imposed and collected from power plants in Chhattisgarh that failed to meet the 100 per cent fly ash utilization target as per the December 2021 notification;
- (b) the quantity of 'legacy ash' accumulated in the ash ponds of Korba district during the last three years and the timeline for its scientific disposal;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any physical verification of the data provided by the power plants on the 'ASHTRACK' app to prevent illegal dumping in forest areas and tribal settlements; and
- (d) whether the Government has any proposal to allocate the fines collected from these plants directly to the local Environment and Health Fund of Korba instead of the Centre, in order to compensate for the damage caused to agriculture and public health in the region?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a): Ash Utilization Notification, 2021 notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on 31.12.2021 mandates the coal or lignite based Thermal Power Plants  (TPPs)  to  achieve  100%  utilisation  of  ash,  including  fly  ash  and  bottom  ash,  in  the prescribed eco-friendly purposes and as per prescribed timelines.

As  reported  by  Chhattisgarh  Environment  Conservation  Board  (CECB),  no  environmental compensation has been imposed on TPPs located in Chattisgarh as there is no non-compliance in regard to ash utilization targets during the first compliance cycle of 3 years (from FY 2022-23 to FY 2024-25).

(b): Under the Notification, TPPs have been mandated to utilise the unutilised accumulated ash i.e. legacy ash, ash which is stored before 01.04.2022, progressively in such a manner that the utilization of legacy ash is completed fully within ten years from 01.04.2022.

As reported by CECB, non-operational ash dykes in Korba District of Chhattisgarh have been reclaimed by the respective TPPs, except ash dyke in Hasdeo Thermal Power Station (HTPS) of Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company Limited (CSPGCL). The total quantity of 'legacy ash' accumulated in the ash dyke is 210.64 lakh Metric Tonnes (MT).

(c): ASHTRACK is a mobile application launched by the Ministry of Power to manage and track fly ash generated by thermal power plants.

Under the Ash Utilization Notification, 2021, TPPs have been mandated to upload the monthly information regarding ash generation and utilization on the web portal developed by CPCB.

TPPs have also been mandated to submit the annual implementation report to CPCB, concerned State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)/Pollution Control Committee (PCC), Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and concerned Integrated Regional Office of MoEF&CC.

In  addition,  annual  compliance  audit  for  ash  disposal  by  TPPs  is  conducted  through  auditors authorized by CPCB, and the audit report is to be submitted to CPCB and concerned SPCB/PCC by 30 th  November every year.

(d): Under the Ash Utilization Notification, 2021, the environmental compensation collected from the TPPs and other defaulters is to be used towards the safe disposal of the unutilised ash and  the  fund  may  also  be  utilised  for  advancing  research  on  use  of  ash  including  ash  based products. As there is no environmental compensation imposed on TPPs located in Chattisgarh, question regarding allocation of environmental compensation does not arise.

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