Fishermen protest ash pond

Following this, revenue officials visited site and called for a meeting with all stakeholders, and asked NTECL to suspend further construction till the matter was resolved. 

According to activists, the NTECL construction flouted flyash and CRZ notifications. As per the Flyash Notification, power plants are required to achieve 100 per cent utilisation by 21 December 2017. NTECL obtained its environmental clearance by guaranteeing that no flyash will be dumped in the coal ash pond, which is reserved for the bottom ash gathered from the boiler. 

Under the Costal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011, mangrove patches larger than 0.25 acres are protected as a No-Development Zone. However, the proposed ash pond is said to obliterate 3 acres of mangroves within the 140-acre tidal creek. Earlier, TNPCB had prevented NTECL from expanding its ash pond citing the presence of mangroves.