Breach in NTPC fly ash pond hits farmland, dam in MP

Singrauli (MP), Oct. 7: A breach in an artificial pond that stored fly ash, toxic residue from a coal power plant run by public sector National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), has contaminated farmland in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli, villagers have alleged.

Authorities said no one was injured in the incident which took place at 4 pm on Sunday inside the boundary wall of the power plant, over 650 km from Bhopal, adding the leak has been contained.

NTPC officials said some cattle were swept away in the incident.

The plant officials and Singrauli districts Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhijeet Ranjan said the company has suffered major losses as costly machinery used for construction was swept away and immersed in nearby Rihand dam which is connected with these ash ponds.

Rihand dam was constructed for supplying water to the power plant.

Singrauli Collector KVS Choudhary, who visited the spot, told reporters that no damage to land or crop has been noticed.

“If any damage is caused due to the breach, then NTPC will compensate people for it,” he said.

Three labourers, Santosh Saket, Arvind Saket and Raju working on a pump house near the dam were trapped in the slush after the breach but were rescued by the police team, Vindhyanagar police station in-charge, Manish Tripathi said.

NTPC Vindhyachals Assistant Manager and Public Relations Officer, Lalmani Pande said, “a committee is being constituted to probe into the breach. Initial investigation suggests that it took place because of high level hydro static pressure due to continuous rains since last 10-15 days in the region.”

He denied that the slush has affected nearby villages and clarified that it was confined to the plant premises. No injury or loss of life and property took place because of this incident, he said.

“Not a single village is affected as reported in the media,” he said.