Vedanta Faces Intensified Scrutiny over Safety Concerns Following Chhattisgarh Fatalities

Vedanta Faces Scrutiny Over Safety Record Following Chhattisgarh Power Plant Accident

At least 16 people were killed and several others injured in a tragic accident at Vedanta's Singhitarai power plant in Chhattisgarh. According to police officials, a tube connected to the boiler unit ruptured, releasing high-pressure steam and causing severe burn injuries to workers.

The incident has once again brought Vedanta's safety record under scrutiny, with the company facing criticism for its workplace fatalities and safety-related lapses across its mines, metal plants, oil and gas operations, and power assets. Vedanta has repeatedly figured in discussions around industrial safety, with workplace deaths reported across its various business verticals.

A 2010 analysis of London Stock Exchange-listed companies found 67 deaths at Vedanta Resources Ltd, then the London-based holding company of the Vedanta group, the highest among all mining companies listed on the exchange. This led to a significant fallout, including the withdrawal of a safety award conferred on Vedanta Resources and its step-down subsidiary BALCO by the British Safety Council.

Vedanta's own disclosures show that concerns around worker safety have persisted in recent years. Workplace fatalities rose from seven in FY20 to eight in FY21, 12 in FY22 and 13 in FY23, according to its annual reports. Although the number declined in FY24, it rose again in FY25, when six workers and one employee died across the group's operations.

| Year | Workplace Fatalities | | --- | --- | | FY20 | 7 | | FY21 | 8 | | FY22 | 12 | | FY23 | 13 | | FY24 | 10 | | FY25 | 7 |

Industry data also shows that Vedanta has remained among the companies with the highest number of workplace fatalities, alongside Coal India and Larsen & Toubro. Its FY25 annual report also showed a sharp rise in complaints linked to workplace safety and conditions. Employees and workers filed 1,363 health and safety-related complaints in FY25, more than double the 603 complaints recorded in FY24.

Vedanta has also faced criticism over deaths linked to protests and official action around its projects, particularly in areas where local communities have alleged environmental damage and coercive responses. One of the most controversial episodes took place in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, in 2018, when police firing on protestors near the Sterlite Copper plant resulted in 14 deaths.

In another instance, two people were killed in 2019 during clashes between local tribal communities and security personnel guarding Vedanta's alumina refinery in Lanjigarh, Odisha. The violence broke out amid protests over demands for jobs and education for local tribal youth and children.

In response to the Chhattisgarh incident, Vedanta has announced compensation and employment support for the families of those killed, along with compensation and continued salaries for the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths and announced ex-gratia relief from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund, while the Chhattisgarh government also announced compensation and ordered an investigation.