Angul, June 3: Panic gripped local residents here following the sliding of an ash dyke of thermal power plant of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) at Kaniha yesterday.

The earthen dyke of ash pond-1 of 3000MW thermal power plants, slid 10ft, spreading slurry from the pond to nearby areas. The total height of the dyke of the pond is stated to be about 40ft. The power plant has four ponds stretching over about 1,400 acres near Derenge village at Kaniha, 60km from here.

As the slurry did not contain much water, its release was limited to only nearby NTPC land without affecting private land or nearby villages.

“Had it been rainy days, there would have been much more damage to the locality and nearby rivulet Tikira with heavy slurry flow from the pond,” said an official of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), who visited the spot. NTPC authorities undertook repairs of the embankment and stopped water flowing out of the pond. On the advice of pollution board authorities, NTPC bosses stopped the release of slurry into the affected pond number 1. The slurry for the pond is now diverted to stage- II ponds.

“There was no damage to any private property in the periphery as the sliding was repaired immediately. The subsidence was caused due to shrinkage of the dyke,' said executive director of the NTPC plant, R.Venkataswaran.

Experts from New Delhi are coming to study the damage and correct the problem, he added. Expressing concern over the repeated occurrences of sliding at the ash pond of the power plant, regional officer of the SPCB Anupam Behera said: “We have time and again warned the power major about leakages from its ash pond, but nothing concrete has so far been done to stop such type of breach.

“The pond conditions appear unsafe. “So NTPC authorities should immediately take up remedial measures to prevent such mishaps which will cause extensive damage to public properties besides the environment.”

He also warned of punitive measures if such things occur in future.

The state government today asked the Orissa State Pollution Control Board to submit a report on the incident.

Director of the environment department Bhagirathi Behera said: “A team of the Pollution Control Board will visit the spot and prepare a detailed report.'

Angul, June 3: Panic gripped local residents here following the sliding of an following slide of ash dyke of thermal power plant of National Thermal Power Corporation at Kaniha yesterday.

Earthen dyke of 200 meter ash pond -1 of 3000 MW thermal power power plant slided by ten feet spreading slurry from the pond to nearby areas.

The total height of the dyke of the pond is stated to be about 40 feet. The power plant has four ponds stretching over about 1400 acres of land near Derenge village at kaniha, 60 Kms away from here.

As the slurry did not contain much water its release was limited to only nearby NTPC land without affecting private land or nearby villages. “Had it been rainy days, there would have much more damage to the locality and nearby rivulet Tikira with the heavy slurry flow from the pond. “said an official of the State Pollution Control Board, who visited the spot.

The NTPC authorities undertook repairs at the embankment and stopped water flowing to outside the pond. On the advice of the State Pollution Control Board authorities, the NTPC authorities stopped release of slurry into the affected pond No 1. The incoming slurry slated for pond – 1 is now diverted to stage- II ponds.

“There was no damage to any private property in the periphery due to the sliding which was repaired immediately. The subsidence was caused due to shrinkage of the dyke,' said the executive director of the NTPC plant, R.Venkataswaran.

Experts from Delhi are coming to study the damage and correct the problem, he added.

Expressing concern over the repeated occurrences of sliding at the ash pond of the power plant, Regional Officer of State Pollution Control Board Anupam Behera said “We have time and again warned the power major about the leakages from its ash pond but nothing concrete has so far been done to stop such type of breach. The pond conditions appear unsafe. So the NTPC authoritues should immediately take up remedial measures to prevent such mishaps which will cause extensive damage to the public properties besides the environment.”

He also warned of punitive measures in future if such occurances recur in future.

Bhubaneswar: The state government today asked the Orissa State Pollution Control Board to submit a report on the incident. Diector, Environment Depatment, Bhagirathi Behera said,. “a team of the Pollution Control Board will visit the spot and prepare a detailed report.'