Strict 45-day probe, central inquiry in fatal boiler cases

The development comes in the backdrop of repeated boiler mishaps in recent years

- Dhirendra Kumar

The government has overhauled the mechanism for investigating boiler accidents, setting strict timelines for inquiries to ensure quicker relief for families of victims.

The changes, notified under the new Boiler Accident Inquiry Rules, 2025, by the commerce and industry ministry, take effect immediately and replace the 2021 framework.

The revised rules will have a direct impact on large industrial sectors such as power, steel, cement, chemicals, and textiles, where boilers are crucial to operations. India has roughly 45,200 process and co-generation boilers, producing about 1.26 billion tonnes of steam annually.

The development comes in the backdrop of repeated boiler mishaps in recent years. A major incident was the May 2024 chemical factory explosion in Thane-Dombivli, which killed 10 people and injured more than 60. Also, in July last year, a boiler blast at a cement plant in Jaggaiahpet of NTR district, Andhra Pradesh, left two workers dead and 14 injured.

"Under the new framework, a preliminary inquiry will be initiated by the state where the accident occurs, while any case involving fatalities will trigger a mandatory central-level inquiry," as per the government notification.