Before Boiler Blast, Chattisgarh's Worst Industrial Disaster Took Place At Vedanta Plant

At least 23 workers have lost their lives in a massive explosion on April 14 at a power plant belonging to the Vedanta Group in Sakti district of Chhattisgarh. Fourteen others are currently battling for their lives.

Preliminary investigation reports have revealed grave negligence at this Vedanta facility. The explosion is being attributed to a disregard for the safety standards and the decision to continue production despite overlooking technical flaws.

While a detailed investigation into the incident is underway, a spokesperson for the Vedanta power plant has stated that the operation and maintenance of this unit were being handled by their sub-contracting firm, NGSL.

The 2009 Blast

Since the formation of the Chhattisgarh state, numerous industrial accidents, minor and major, have occurred in succession. The most severe industrial disasters in the state's history to date have taken place at facilities owned by the Vedanta Group.

The state's deadliest industrial accident occurred on September 23, 2009, at the Vedanta-Sterlite power plant in Korba, where the 240-meter-high chimney of a 1,200 MW power unit collapsed during construction. In this tragedy, about 40 labourers were crushed to death, with the majority of the victims hailing from the Saran district of Bihar.

An investigation into the accident had revealed that no No-Objection Certificate (NOC) had ever been issued for the land upon which the chimney was being constructed. The construction was in violation of the provisions of the Korba Development Plan, and no development permits of any kind had been obtained.

Effectively, this was not just an accident but a case of calculated negligence.

Fifteen years after the tragedy, five key companies involved in the chimney's construction -- BALCO, SEPCO, GDCL, BVIL, and DCPL -- have been named as accused parties.

Three engineers from the SEPCO, the Chinese company that was building the chimney, have been found guilty; however, they failed to appear during the hearings at a special court. They had claimed that they did not get a direct flight to appear for the hearings.

In Chhattisgarh, the Factories Act of 1948, the Boilers Act of 1923, and the Department of Industrial Safety and Health are in place. There are regulations, inspectors, and an investigative mechanism. Yet, the 40 plus victims of the Vedanta chimney tragedy in Korba are still awaiting justice-even 17 years later, no strict action has been taken against any of those responsible.