Nagpur: Sudhir Paliwal, director of Mahagenco Ash Management Services Ltd (Mahagams), believes that fly-ash poses a great threat to environment and it should be used to manufacture products to safely dispose it. Addressing the inaugural session of three-day seminar Green Ashcon, he said that geopolymer cement is the latest product in fly-ash utilization sector.“Geopolymer cement is being developed and utilized as an alternative to conventional Portland cement for use in transportation, infrastructure, construction and offshore applications. It significantly reduces the carbon footprint of cement production, while also being highly resistant to many common concrete durability issues. It may cure more rapidly than Portland-based cements,” said Paliwal.The director further said that one tonne of cement generated one tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2). “Cement is the second most consumed commodity on the Earth after water. The cement industry is responsible for 7% of CO2 emissions. India is the second largest producer of cement,” he added.He added that Mahagams was planting Laxmitaru (Simarouba Glauca) trees on ash bunds. “Two lakh saplings are available in the state. We have already planted 10,000 trees and 4,000 more will be planted this year,” said Paliwal.Mahagams managing director Purushottam Jadhav later gave a detailed presentation on steps being taken by the company to use fly-ash.Pramod Padole, director of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), said that his college had been conducting research on fly-ash since years. “We had made fly-ash bricks when nobody knew about it. We have invented a technology to manufacture sand from fly-ash. It will soon go commercial,” he added.SS Hussain, retired senior IAS officer, said utilization of fly-ash was essential for reducing greenhouse emissions. “Maharashtra is the first state to have a fly-ash utilization policy. If sand is made from fly-ash, it will save our rivers,” he said.Ashish Jaiswal, chairman of Maharashtra State Mining Corporation (MSMC), said he would extend full help to Mahagams in using fly-ash. Managing director S Ramamoorthy also expressed similar views.

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