In yet another instance of fly ash leaking from the North Chennai Thermal Power Station at Ennore, the video of a pipeline dumping large amounts of fly ash into Kosasthalaiyar river was revealed on social media on Monday.
A video of the leak was captured by environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman on Monday morning. “This is probably the second time I am seeing this sort of a big leak. The pipeline was leaking fly ash for more than one-and-a-half hours. On one side, removal of fly ash is happening. On the other hand, these types of leaks continue,” he said
Mr. Jayaraman said the fly ash spill on Monday was directly into Kosasthalaiyar river. “The fly ash that is being cleared on one side is dumped nearby. When it rains, this will also drain into the river,” he added.
Locals say the leaks were a regular feature at the creek and pipeline bursts were common.
In July, the Water Resources Department had begun work on dredging the backwaters of the Ennore creek.
Rare occurrence
A senior official of Tangedco, confirming a burst in the pipeline which caused the leakage of fly ash, said engineers were involved in the repair operation throughout the day.
He said such kinds of pipeline cracks, which evacuate the fly ash to the fly ash pond, were rare occurrences, and all steps were being taken to prevent leakage in the pipelines.
The Tangedco official said work was in progress for replacing the old pipes with new ones, and it would be completed by the end of this year.
