Coal ash, a toxic byproduct of coal-fired power generation, remains one of the most neglected yet damaging forms of industrial pollution in India. Despite a series of high-profile breaches in recent years, the scale of damage, regulatory inaction, and lack of transparency persist. This report documents eight fly ash-related accidents between August 2019 and May 2021, involving thermal power plants across seven states—including Essar, Vindhyachal, Sasan, Anpara, Talcher, Bokaro, North Chennai, and Kahalgaon.

These accidents caused widespread contamination of land and water, loss of crops, damage to property, and, in one case, fatalities. The most severe was the 2020 Sasan Ultra Mega Power Project breach, which killed six people and flooded 200 acres with toxic slurry. Yet, criminal proceedings were initiated in only one case. In most instances, compensation to affected communities remains incomplete, and mandated environmental damage assessments are delayed or withheld from public access.

Common causes include substandard ash dyke construction, lack of maintenance, and unscientific storage methods. Despite legally binding regulations for 100% fly ash utilisation, several plants show poor compliance, with some misrepresenting dumping as “reclamation.” Even where fines were imposed—ranging from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore—accidents continue, raising questions about the effectiveness of such penalties.

The report highlights systemic failures: delayed clean-up, inadequate deterrence, poor regulatory oversight, and lack of media attention unless the damage is visibly large-scale. It calls for urgent reforms including criminal accountability, routine technical audits of ash ponds, better data transparency, and public access to compliance reports. As India transitions away from coal, the legacy of coal ash mismanagement threatens to persist—unless these systemic gaps are addressed now.