Odisha produces about 45 million tons of fly ash a year from thermal power plants, which has prompted the state government to step up efforts to guaranty its safe disposal and achieve 100% use. Chief Secretary Anu Garg presided over a meeting called by the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) at Lok Seva Bhavan here on Tuesday to discuss the matter.
According to data provided at the meeting, the state’s fly ash utilization rate in 2025–2026 was 98.63%. Participants talked on how to close the gap and improve transportation, monitoring, and ecologically friendly disposal methods. Fly ash management is still a major issue in the districts of Jharsuguda, Sundaragada, Sambalpur, Anugola, and Dhenkanal. These districts’ collectors participated online in the meeting.
The transportation of fly ash in uncovered or insufficiently covered vehicles poses concerns to the environment and human health, including dust pollution, soil and water contamination, and possible harm to agricultural land, according to officials. Strict adherence to environmental regulations, including appropriate site preparation, transportation arrangements, and subsequent land reclamation, was emphasized during the discussion when employing fly ash to fill low-lying areas and abandoned mine voids.
Emphasising the need to treat fly ash as a resource rather than waste, participants explored its wider use in cement manufacturing, ready-mix concrete, geopolymer-based construction materials, sintered ash aggregates, road construction and embankments. The discussions also covered promoting fly ash-based products, encouraging micro and small enterprises and setting up cement grinding units near thermal power plants to expand long-term utilisation.
To improve transparency and accountability, the OSPCB proposed technology-driven tracking of fly ash transportation and disposal. The system would incorporate GPS-based vehicle tracking, QR code-enabled digital consignment certificates, monitoring of approved routes, verification of delivery and automated alerts for route violations. The Chief Secretary called for strengthening district-level task forces and prioritising the establishment of a dedicated fly ash management cell within the OSPCB. Other measures discussed included revising standard operating procedures for filling low-lying areas, ensuring transportation in fully covered vehicles, identifying abandoned mines for potential utilisation and curbing illegal dumping.
