The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) MP from Satna, Ganesh Singh, has urged the Centre to launch a pilot project to recover potash from the Cement Kiln Dust (CKD) produced in the Satna cement cluster, arguing that the initiative could help reduce India’s dependence on imports and promote the conversion of industrial waste into wealth.

Raising the matter under Rule 377 in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Mr. Singh said that India imported nearly 4.2 million tonnes of Muriate of Potash (MOP) in 2023-24 and remained heavily dependent on overseas supplies. The Russia-Ukraine war and sanctions on Belarus in 2022 had contributed to a sharp rise in global potash prices, imposing an additional burden on farmers, he said.

Mr. Singh said that large quantities of CKD were generated by cement plants, including those in Satna, but were treated as hazardous waste because of their heavy-metal content.

He pointed to a carbon dioxide-based technology being developed in South Korea that could separate heavy metals from CKD and recover fertilizer-grade potash. He urged the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers as well as the Environment Ministry to undertake a scientific feasibility study and launch a pilot project in Satna in collaboration with the CSIR, IITs, and the cement industry.

He said that the initiative could lower farm input costs, reduce industrial pollution, and advance programmes such as Waste to Wealth, Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.