Generating approximately 45 million tonnes of fly ash annually from its thermal power plants, the Odisha government has ramped up strategic initiatives to ensure its safe disposal and achieve 100 percent utilisation, senior officials announced on Tuesday.
The critical environmental objective was reviewed during a high-level meeting convened by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) at Lok Seva Bhavan, chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg.
Current Utilisation and Focus Districts
According to state data, Odisha’s fly ash utilisation rate reached 98.63 percent during 2025–26. To bridge the remaining gap and tackle regional bottlenecks, the administration placed special emphasis on districts with heavy industrial footprints—namely Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Angul, and Dhenkanal—with district collectors participating via video conferencing.
Addressing Environmental and Health Risks
Officials raised serious concerns regarding environmental hazards caused by the lax transportation of fly ash in uncovered or inadequately covered vehicles, which leads to fugitive dust pollution, soil and water contamination, and potential degradation of agricultural lands.
To rectify this, the meeting mandated strict compliance for filling low-lying areas and abandoned mine voids, enforcing rigorous site preparation, mandatory fully-covered transport, and proper post-disposal land reclamation.
Treating Waste as a Resource
Emphasizing a circular economy approach, participants discussed treating fly ash as a valuable industrial resource rather than disposable waste:
- Industrial Integration: Expanding its deployment in cement manufacturing, ready-mix concrete, geopolymer construction materials, sintered ash aggregates, and road embankments.
- Enterprise Promotion: Encouraging micro and small enterprises (MSMEs) to manufacture fly ash-based products and facilitating the establishment of cement grinding units near thermal power plants.
Technology-Driven Tracking and Governance
To eliminate illegal dumping and enhance accountability, the OSPCB proposed rolling out a comprehensive digital tracking framework:
- GPS Fleet Monitoring: Real-time location tracking of all vehicles transporting fly ash.
- QR Code Consignment Notes: Digital certificates verifying routes, delivery endpoints, and automated alert systems for route deviations.
- Institutional Strengthening: The Chief Secretary directed the reinforcement of district-level task forces and the creation of a dedicated fly ash management cell within the OSPCB.
Senior bureaucrats representing the Chief Minister’s Office, Energy, Forest and Environment, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, and key industrial organizations attended the deliberations.
