Regulating Coal Operations

Regulating Coal Operations: Environmental and Social Impacts through the Lens of the National Green Tribunal

India has announced plans to reach Net Zero emissions by 2070 and has pledged to decarbonise its economy, including the power generation sector which is right now overwhelmingly dependent on coal. In spite of this ambitious intent and commendable on-ground progress, coal and coal-based power generation will remain a significant part of India’s energy basket for some time to come. Unfortunately, coal-based power generation can have serious impacts on the environment, and on people’s health and livelihoods. Such impacts occur and continue in spite of the existing legal and regulatory framework. 

The NGT is a unique platform to understand why these impacts persist and can offer important insights in terms of how to address these, as it adjudicates cases based on a framework combining the legal regime with technical analysis, and allows direct participation of affected communities as applicants.

With this in mind, this study examines several cases before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which deal with impacts of various elements of coal-based power generation. 

This study was carried out by Kush Tanvani and Shripad Dharmadhikary for Vikalp Social Organisation.

Report Released July 2025