The Chhattisgarh High Court on November 14 expanded its ongoing suo motu inquiry into health and safety conditions in thermal power plants across the state. The court ordered that 37 more units be added as respondents after recent inspection reports revealed several areas where plants were still failing to meet safety standards. The direction came while hearing compliance reports submitted in WPPIL of 2016 and connected matters. A division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal also accepted the state government’s request for more time to follow the court’s earlier order issued on September 15, 2025.
The court asked the Registry to add the 37 power plants to the case and issue notices through the Labour Department. During the hearing, the Additional Advocate General informed the bench that several plants were not cooperating with the inspection teams. The judges recorded this concern and said they hoped all establishments would cooperate fully so the court could move forward in framing a strong and effective health and safety policy for industrial workers in Chhattisgarh.
In the earlier hearing held on September 15, the court had reviewed detailed inspection reports from multiple court commissioners. These inspections covered several coal-based thermal power plants in Raipur, Durg, Rajnandgaon and Raigarh. The reports confirmed that no major occupational diseases such as asbestosis, silicosis, pneumoconiosis or tuberculosis were found among workers. However, the teams observed a high number of employees suffering from lifestyle-related conditions including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol, dyslipidemia and various vision and hearing impairments. Many plants had earlier depended on private diagnostic centres for medical check-ups, which led to casual and inaccurate reporting, especially in hearing tests. Despite clear court directions, some units were still conducting annual medical examinations through private agencies instead of using government hospitals, ESIC facilities or authorised tie-up hospitals.
The inspection teams noted that earlier gaps, such as the absence of occupational health centres and ambulances, have now been addressed. Several units have shifted their diagnostic testing to government hospitals, and Form 21 medical reports have been verified by certifying surgeons. The state government has also penalised plants that failed to follow the Factories Rules. Data submitted to the court showed that many units reported high instances of diabetes, cholesterol imbalance, hypertension and refractive errors among employees. In a number of Raipur-based plants, workers were found to have mild to moderate hearing loss, which led the court to direct that all audiological tests be conducted only in district or government hospitals. Large industrial units such as NTPC-SAIL’s Bhilai plants also reported hundreds of cases of lifestyle diseases, although no occupational hazards were detected.
The court acknowledged the progress but emphasised that the remaining inspections, particularly for the 37 newly added units, must be completed without delay. The case has been listed for the next hearing on December 15.
Since 2016, when the WPPIL and related matters were first taken up, the High Court has closely monitored worker health and safety across coal-based thermal power plants. It has issued several directions requiring thorough inspections, the appointment of AFIH-qualified factory medical officers, and the use of government or ESIC hospitals for annual medical examinations. The court has consistently discouraged the use of private diagnostic agencies and has stressed the need for accurate, scientifically reliable medical reporting. Over the years, the process has involved multiple rounds of inspections and compliance reviews to ensure that plants meet statutory requirements and safeguard the health of their workers.
