The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report dated July 12, 2026, regarding the drowning deaths of three children in an 'Ash Dyke Lagoon' constructed by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in the Kanti area of Muzaffarpur district, Bihar. The lagoon is used for storing huge amounts of coal ash generated by NTPC's operations.
The Commission observed that the contents of the news report, if verified, raise serious issues of human rights violations. In response, the NHRC has issued formal notices to both the Chairman and Managing Director of NTPC in Delhi and the Senior Superintendent of Police of Muzaffarpur, Bihar. These notices demand a detailed report on the incident and surrounding circumstances within a two-week timeframe.
According to the media report, the incident occurred in an area where no warning boards were installed to alert people to the dangers of the ash storage ponds. Additionally, the report stated that no security personnel have been deployed to restrict entry of villagers who access these ponds to collect coal residue for sale in local markets, indicating potential safety and regulatory lapses at the industrial site.