Sterlite Copper gets access to Thoothukudi unit for maintenance after 5 yrs

Five years after shutting down its Thoothukudi unit following an order by the Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), the Sterlite Copper company led by Anil Agarwal was able to reach the plant on Friday for maintenance work.

It comes after the three-member Supreme Court bench, chaired by Chief Justice D. Y. Chandrachod, in April authorized Sterling Cooper to carry out the maintenance. The maintenance work will include operations such as removing residual gypsum, slurry treatment and others. Based on this, the district administration has now allowed the company to maintain the plant after five years.

“We are pleased to note that the district administration, as directed by the Supreme Court, has issued orders to start some maintenance work at the Sterlite plant. This will allow us to engage local contractors and offer jobs to some people in Thoothukudi,” the company said in a statement. “We are grateful to the state and have full confidence in it.” In the judiciary that appropriate support and decision-making will be given to ensure the welfare and progress of the people of Thoothukudi and India.”

Production at the plant has been suspended since 2018, after protests broke out against the company’s plan to double its annual capacity to 800,000 tons. The subsequent police shooting killed 13 people and injured 102 others. And at the height of the epidemic last April, the Supreme Court allowed the company to produce oxygen for medical purposes.

According to industry sources, the net loser from the lockdown was the Indian economy. From being a net exporter of copper in 2017-18, India is now an importer. The plant was producing about 40 per cent of India’s copper demand and contributed about Rs 2,500 crore to the treasury, 12 per cent of the Thoothukudi port revenue and 95 per cent of the market share of sulfuric acid in Tamil Nadu. Although the company was allowed to produce oxygen from the plant during Covid, no maintenance work was allowed.

In April, the Home Ministry told the Rajya Sabha that it was examining complaints against some NGOs for misusing foreign funds to organize protests around the Vedanta sterlite copper plant. During the hearing, maintenance of the plant was supported by a lawyer appointed by the NGO, representing nine panchayats, 13 coastal Sangam, suppliers and downstream units.