TNshutsoffpower to Sterlite plant as CM blames oppn
WAR OF WORDS E Palaniswami claims opposition parties instigated violence; Rajnath Singh appeals for peace
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) cut off power to the controversial Sterlite copper plant in Thoothukudi on Thursday, following closure orders served on its management a day earlier, after the police shot dead 11 people to quell street protests against the plant.
The action came as Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami broke two days of silence on the deaths and accused rival political parties of “instigating” the violence. Union home minister Rajnath Singh said in a Twitter post: “I appeal to the people in Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) to remain calm and maintain peace and tranquility in the region.”
TNPCB acted to prevent the Sterlite plant from restarting operations; the TNPCB had in April turned down a request by Sterlite to renew the plant’s so-called consent to operate.
After an environmental clearance is granted by the centre, project developers require a consent to operate from the state pollution board, which is renewed every six to nine months. Despite Sterlite not having the consent, the board found during an inspection on May 18 and 19 that “the unit was carrying out activities to resume its production operation.”
Vedanta Ltd, the parent company of Sterlite Copper, is a subsidiary of the UK-based conglomerate Vedanta Resources Plc. The Thoothukudi plant, set up in 1997, consists of a smelter, a refinery, a phosphoric acid plant, a copper
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rod plant and three captive power plants.
Residents of Thootukudi have been staging protests demanding closure of the plant, which has drawn up plans o expand operations. They allege widespread contamination of groundwater resources and repeated gas leaks from the premises. More than 100 days of protests came to a head on Tuesday when police shooting left 11 people dead; one more died on Wednesday.
The police action has directed the anger of the residents towards the authorities.“It is too little too late,” Shweta Narayan, an activist protesting against the plant, said about the closure orders served on the plant. “Closure is the easiest thing to do. They need to do this assessment of the longterm impacts on the groundwater and the environment.”
The environmental clearance granted for the expansion of the plant by the environment ministry has been challenged in the Madras high court. On Wednesday, the court passed an interim order staying the expansion and directed that a public hearing be held.
“The Sterlite copper plant is currently non-operational and we will maintain an open dialogue with all of our stakeholders as we await approval for the consent to operate,” Vivek Thomas, a spokesperson for Vedanta, said.
Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal described as “unfortunate’”the loss of lives in the protests against the plant. In a video message on Twitter, Agarwal said: “I am very sad to hear of the incident...This was absolutely unfortunate. My full sympathy is with the families (of the victims).”
The non-resident Indian billionaire said, “I am totally committed for the community, people