Clashes over ashes of Khedar Thermal Power leads to death one person, several injured

A 56-year-old farmer was killed while several are severely injured when the villagers protested against Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant selling ashes.

Hisar(Haryana): A 56-year-old farmer, Dharampal, died while several are severely injured during clashes over ashes from Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant in Khedar village, on Friday. The protestors were heading to the railway station to protest against the power plant, the riot erupted when the police used barricades and lathi-charged the crowd. During the protest, the villagers used tractors to break down the barricades installed by the police which led to the death of an elderly farmer while severely injuring many people including one policeman.

According to the sources, the villagers were protesting outside the Thermal power plant for the last 86 days as the thermal power plant used to throw out the ashes of coal which they used to generate electricity in the plant, the locals had an issue with the same but eventually, people started to collect the ashes and sell them to cement companies and make a profit out of it. The plant then started demanding money for the ashes which enraged the villagers. The villagers carried out a protest against the plant for 86 days but they were neglected, the villagers, to put an impact, were heading to the railway station to block the trains.

The villagers said, "We made a profit out of the plant's garbage, we bought around 1000 cows and now the plant has started demanding money for the ashes and we will not have money to feed the cows."

Praveen Kumar, an engineer of the Khedar Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Plant, said "the ashes are generated from coal used for the production of electricity in large quantities in the plant. It consists of 80 percent dry fly ash while the remaining 20 percent of the ash is from the bottom. Dry fly ash is being sold to cement brick manufacturers. Initially, this ash was being supplied free of cost to the villagers of Khedar. But on February 22, the Ministry of Power issued guidelines for the sale of fly ash. Due to which now it has to be sold through bidding."

The police have registered a case against 150 protestors after the plant administration lodged a complaint and they claim that the protestors have sabotaged the plant. The police used water cannons and batons to control the enraged villagers but the villagers were adamant.