Now Fly Ash to be tracked by a new app

New Delhi, February 10: ‘The earth does not belong to us, we belong to it,’ is an apt quote and mother earth should be looked upon as a responsibility. Aiming at this responsibility, the Department of New and Renewable resources have brought in a new web based monitoring system and Fly Ash mobile app named ASH TRACK, launch by Minister of New and Renewable Resources RK Singh in New Delhi on Friday which helps enables better management of ash produced by thermal power plants.

This platform will permit better management of the ash produced by thermal power plants by providing a boundary between fly ash producers from thermal power plants and potential ash users such as road contractors cement plants etc.

Minister of New and Renewable Resources RK Singh said that our mantra should be ‘The least ash generated and maximum ash utilized.’ He also thanked Niti Aayog for providing full support to this project.

Users can download the Ash Track mobile app from Google Play Store for Android OS and from App Store for Apple IOS. The ASH TRACK Mobile App has following features

For Consumers-

·    App shows coal based power plants situated within the radius of 100 km and 300 km from a given location

·    User can select power station from where he wants to take fly ash

·    Ash availability, distance from user’s location, details of contact person will be displayed

·    User can apply online for allocation of ash

· SMS will be sent to the applicant and the respective power plant instantly

For Power Stations-

· App shows perspective users within the radius of 100 km and 300 km of power plants

· Power station can see the location of prospective ash users surrounding the power plant like – cement plants, NHAI, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) projects, brick producers, etc.

· Power plants can contact the prospective users for supply of ash

Ash Utilisation Data –

· App gives plant wise, utility wise and state wise ash utilization status in the country

· Shows details of real time ash generation and utilization

While speaking on the occasion, RK Singh stated that proper management of fly ash is important not only for the environment but also for the land that is occupied because of this. The target aims at utilizing 100% of the fly ash whereas at present it sustains only to 63%. To make this possibility a reality the Minister emphasizes on creating awareness and educating the masses about the same.

He said that road contractors and construction engineers need to know the benefits of using fly ash in construction. The Minister has also asked the officials to work out the per kilometer construction costs of roads using fly ash, and believed that if it is found to be expensive, then measures need to be taken to reduce the cost by way of tax structure, subsidies and transportation services. Singh stressed upon the need to come out with a policy to encourage fly ash use in cement plant.