TN allows Sterlite to operate for oxygen
CHENNAI: The State government on Monday decided to allow Sterlite Copper to run its Thoothukudi plant to manufacture oxygen required for hospitals for four months following an all-party meeting.
“Based on the orders of the Supreme Court, Sterlite can repair its machinery and can manufacture oxygen temporarily for four months. Based on the oxygen demands, the period can be extended later,” stated a government order, which also emphasized that only oxygen should be manufactured in the plant. As the State opposed the petition to open the plant, the Supreme Court had suggested that the government can take over Sterlite Copper and can manufacture oxygen in the plant. Following the suggestion, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami called for an emergency all-party meeting at the Secretariat to obtain the views of all major political parties. In the meeting, the parties agreed unanimously to allow Sterlite Copper to manufacture only oxygen and a resolution was also passed soon after. The temporary oxygen generation process would be monitored by a team headed by Thoothukudi Collector, and would have SP, officials from TNPCB, local public, members of NGOs with expertise in environment issues and members from protest group. The oxygen should be first available to the State and only the excess should be transported to other states, the directive said.
MADURAI/TIRUCHY: Security has been beefed up in parts of Thoothukudi after the State government on Monday gave its nod to open Vedanta group’s Sterlite Copper plant to generate oxygen to cater to the needs of COVID-19 patients. The unit has remained under lock and seal since May 2018 following unrest during the anti-Sterlite protest that resulted in the death of 13 people in police firing.
According to Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar, 600 personnel have been deployed to ensure law and order is maintained. Collectorate premises is under three-layer security cover, and riot control vehicles have been stationed in front of the Collectorate and near the plant along Madurai by-pass road. The officer added that the police force could be mobifrom lised neighbouring districts if required.
The majority of the people who attended the public hearing held last week raised objections to reopening the plant for any purpose and insisted on dismantling the copper smelter. A few others suggested that the government should take over the facility if it wants to generate oxygen for medical purpose.
Protesting the decision to allow the company to open the plant, members of ‘Makkal Kootamaippu’ courted arrest while attempting to block the road in front of the Collectorate. Before staging the agitation, its representatives submitted a petition seeking authorities to deny permission.
If the company had concern for the wellbeing of the people, the required amount of oxygen could be generated from other industries belonging to the Vedanta group, M Krishnamurthy, one of the protesters who courted arrest, told reporters.
A Sankar, a Thoothukudi-based environmental activist, opined that reopening the Sterlite plant, even if for oxygen generation, could create social and, affect peace and stability in Thoothukudi. The people in the district are concerned that the move would eventually let Sterlite smelt copper. So the central and State governments should reconsider the decision, he said.
Protests erupt in Tiruchy
Meanwhile, members from Makkal Adhikaram staged a road roko near the Central bus stand in Tiruchy on Monday in protest against the government decision.
The protesters urged the political parties not to help out the Vedanta group of companies, which they claimed is “anti-people and behind loss of several lives in and around its Thoothukudi unit”.
They claimed that Vedanta has been running factories in five states and there is no need to open the one that has been closed after a series of legal battles. Tiruchy district coordinator Raja, Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam district president MP Chinnadurai, among others, spoke.
After the protesters attempted to block the road, police arrested all except the children.