New Delhi: Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal on Monday said the operations and maintenance of the company’s power plant in Chhattisgarh, where a boiler explosion killed 25 workers, had been entrusted to NGSL — a joint venture of NTPC Limited and General Electric (GE).
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"What weighs heavily on my mind is this: at our Athena plant, we had put in place the highest standards of safety. The entire responsibility was entrusted to NGSL, a partnership between NTPC and GE, among the most respected and trusted institutions in India. The contractors, the teams, the technical expertise, all were theirs," said Agarwal in a social media post.
"It was on the strength of this trust that we had confidently outsourced the plant’s operations and maintenance. And yet, this unfortunate tragedy occurred," added Agarwal.
Agarwal said the arrangement was based on reliance on established operators, comparing it to vehicle owners depending on responsible drivers. "It is a lot like a vehicle owner placing his trust in a capable and responsible driver, believing that both the vehicle and its passengers will remain safe. And still, sometimes, fate intervenes," he said.
"At Vedanta, safety is always our highest priority in every contract. The same commitment has been the cornerstone for NTPC and GE as well. And when such a tragedy happens despite all of this, it truly breaks your heart," he added.
The comments come as investigators examine the cause of the April 14 incident at the Singhitarai village plant, where an explosion in a high-pressure steam tube between the boiler and turbine led to multiple fatalities and severe burn injuries.
According to a police statement, a report by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Sakti identified accumulation of fuel and excessive pressure as the primary triggers.
The same statement said that both Vedanta and its contractor NGSL (NTPC GE Power Services Limited) did not adequately adhere to required maintenance and operational standards.
The Chhattisgarh police have registered an FIR against Agarwal and others in connection with the blast, an official had said earlier. Industrialist Naveen Jindal later said the matter should be investigated thoroughly, adding that responsibility must be determined based on evidence.
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Vedanta had earlier announced compensation of Rs 35 lakh for families of those killed in the incident along with employment support, and Rs 15 lakh for those injured.
