NTPC plant ash leak in MP contaminated farms, claim villagers

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A breach in an artificial pond that stored 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.

Local authorities said no one was injured and the ash spillage which took place on Sunday inside the boundary wall of the power plant, adding the leak has been contained.

Because of the breach, there was a "flood-like situation" in the vicinity, eyewitnesses said.

Panic gripped people in villagers of Jainagar, Juwadi, Amhava Tola and Gahilgarh East but nobody got affected in the incident, a police official said.

The breach took place at NTPC's Vindhyachal plant at Shahpur in Singrauli district, the official said.

The plants executive director Devashisih Mukherjee, Singrauli Superintendent of Police Abhijeet Ranjan and senior officials reached the spot soon after the breach, NTPCs
assistant manager, Lalmani Pande told PTI on Monday.

Pande, who is supervising the cleaning operation to clear the fly ash, said, "Over 50 per cent of the waste has flown into the nearby Rihand dam and we are trying to clear
the remaining slush on a war-footing since last night."

The situation is now under control, he said. Ranjan said no loss of life or property was reported due to the breach.

Eyewitnesses, however, said half a dozen cattle were swept away in the incident, a claim not confirmed by officials.