Vol. 7, Issue 10, Part B (2025)

A byproduct of burning coal in thermal power plants, fly ash affects agricultural systems in both positive and negative ways. The current study evaluated the growing performance of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) in six agricultural fields near the Parichha Thermal Power Plant in Jhansi in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023. At each site, randomly chosen plants were measured for growth factors like height and number of branches. According to the results, Site 6 had the lowest values (56.28 cm and 10.40, respectively), whereas Site 4 continuously displayed the highest plant height (average 61.58 cm) and number of branches per plant (14.30). The statistical significance of the differences across the sites suggests that fly ash deposition has a beneficial effect on vegetative development. These results are consistent with past studies that demonstrated that while high concentrations of fly ash amendment may impair performance, moderate amounts enhance crop growth and yield. Although rigorous soil quality monitoring is required to prevent long-term concerns, the study's overall findings indicate that fly ash can be judiciously deposited as a positive soil amendment to enhance chickpea development in locations bordering thermal power plants.