Who Profits from Pollution? A SanvaadGarh Audit of Chhattisgarh’s Emission Fines

The SanvaadGarh Sunday Special | Chhattisgarh | June 29, 2025

In Chhattisgarh’s coal belt, smokestacks tower over trees, and fly ash blankets the land like a toxic shroud. Industrial giants – Jindal Steel & Power, BALCO (Vedanta), NTPC, SKS Power, and TRN Energy have faced scrutiny for polluting Korba, Raigarh, and Janjgir. But after the fines, what changes? SanvaadGarh dug into the data and uncovered a scandal: fines are a slap on the wrist, pollution thrives, communities suffer, and profits soar. This isn’t regulation, it’s sanctioned greenwashing.

The Numbers Behind the Smog

Fines in the Shadows Chhattisgarh’s pollution boards and courts have slapped fines on industrial polluters, but the details are buried:

• Jindal Steel & Power (Raigarh): Faced NGT probes in 2021 for environmental violations, with fines rumored but unconfirmed in public records.
• NTPC (Korba): Cited for emissions breaches, with partial payments reported, though exact amounts remain undisclosed.
• BALCO (Vedanta, Korba): Under scrutiny since the 2017 ash-dyke breach, with penalty discussions ongoing but no public figures.
• SKS Power and TRN Energy (Raigarh): Implicated in regional pollution cases, yet fine specifics are absent from open data.

Note: Exact fine amounts (e.g., ₹160 Cr, ₹67 Cr) cited in earlier reports lack verification due to inaccessible RTI details. SanvaadGarh has filed fresh RTIs to unearth these figures, but the silence speaks volumes.

But Where Are the Outcomes?

• Air Quality Index (AQI) in Korba and Raigarh hits Very Unhealthy levels (200+) on 200+ days/year, per 2025 environmental assessments.
• No Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) units operate in most plants, a failure highlighted by the 2025 Centre for Science and Environment report.
• Fly ash is dumped openly, contaminating village farmlands, as documented by Mongabay in 2023.
• Thermal plants exceed pollution norms, with Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems indicating loads beyond legal limits.

This is ecological violence, not oversight.

The Greenwashing Toolkit

• Pay the Fine, Avoid the Fix: Companies treat fines as a business expense, not a penalty, per 2025 environmental critiques.
• CSR Sleight of Hand: BALCO plants trees while rivers die, mirroring Vedanta’s “for good” ad from June 24, 2025.
• Regulatory Capture: Chhattisgarh Pollution Control Board’s ties to industry are suspected, with unverified reports of former consultants influencing decisions.

What the Law Says — And Why It’s Failing

• The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 imposes fines but lacks repeat-offence caps.
• NGT orders, like the 2022 ash management directive, are toothless without CPCB/MoEF follow-up, per recent analyses.
• Citizens can’t access quarterly emissions data despite RTI rights, a gap noted in 2025 reports.

The law is a paper shield.

SanvaadGarh Demands

• Public disclosure of all emission fine details and utilization reports.
• Real-time emissions data online for Korba and Raigarh.
• No renewals for repeat violators without community hearings.
• 50% of fines for health and water restoration in affected districts.
• Criminal prosecution under IPC 268 (public nuisance) and 277 (water pollution).

Every profit hides soot, cancer, and lost water. This isn’t accountability—it’s complicity.

This investigation relies on public data and ongoing RTI efforts. We invite MoEFCC, CSPCB, and companies to respond.