Leakage in Nalco’s ash slurry pipe. Telegraph picture

Angul, Oct. 15: An ash slurry-carrying pipeline of Nalco captive power plant burst this morning releasing slurry into Balaramprasad village. This comes close on the heels of an ash pond breach here.

The slurry submerged the panchayat road and entered some houses. It also contaminated the village ponds and wells and damaged paddy fields. Local residents protested and demanded suitable compensation for the damage caused by the leakage. However, this was the first time that the ash pipeline had leaked and affected the village.

Pipeline No. 3 of the power plant burst near the village at about 7am this morning and released ash-water for more than two hours before it was checked by Nalco authorities, said official sources.

Nalco has a total of 10 pipelines for its 10 units in the captive power plant.

“All of a sudden, a heavy flow of ash water came into our houses and entered the well too. The water rushed into my bedroom, kitchen and flooded my home. It also entered my chicken farm and destroyed the chicken food there. The ash water also entered our garden. We demand compensation from Nalco for the losses,” said Rajesh Sahu of Balaramprasad village.

“As soon as we received information about the leakage, we immediately diverted the slurry into another pipeline stopping the flow of slurry into the village. We have offered to clean the village pond and wells which have been affected due to the slurry leakages. A probe has been ordered into this leakage because this is uncommon,” said a senior Nalco official.

Denying allegation about old and obsolete pipelines, the official asserted that the pipelines were new and in good shape. No administrative official reached the spot till the afternoon. The regional officer of State Pollution Control Board S.K. Sahu deputed his officials to the village to do a first-hand study.