Fly-ash from Coal-fed Thermal Power Plants:Bulk Utilization in Horticulture – A Long-term Risk Management Option

Management of solid waste (flyash) has attained an apparent scenario for scientific & strategic concern in India due to large-scale dependence on coal-based thermal power plants. Waste utilization as the best option of pollution-prevention and disaster risk strategy has been worked out during previous decades to open doors for flyash utilization on various sectors of developmental and manufacturing sectors. Low appli- cation of flyash has reportedly been employed as a soil ameliorant and experiments have demonstrated tree plantation over flyash landfills using organically rich wastes to prepare the suitable substrates. However, the large-scale and voluminous generation of flyash averagely on regular basis calls for bulk utilization options in a productive purpose. Present study discusses the features of coal-combustion flyash and a study of two important vegetable crops, viz., Brinjal and Spinach, grown on flyash substrate. The results advocated the flyash application as higher as up to 50% in case of common garden soils, supporting the options of bulk utilization of flyash in horticultural cropping. The discussions suggested screening of suitable species on the basis of dose-response studies for evolving a protocol for flyash management under ecofriendly protocols.