Vedanta offers to make oxygen at copper unit; SC to hear plea

New Delhi, April 22: The Supreme Court on Thursday termed the Covid-19 situation as almost a "national emergency" while agreeing to hear Vedanta''s plea for opening its Sterlite copper unit at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu on the ground that it would produce a thousand tonne of oxygen and give it free of cost to treat patients.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S. A. Bobde was unimpressed with the objection of Tamil Nadu government which initially sought hearing of Vedanta''s plea on Monday and opposed its opening on various grounds, including that it has been rejected by the apex court earlier.

"We understand all this. We will ensure compliance of all environmental norms by the plant and its oxygen producing facility would be allowed to operate. We are on the oxygen plant," the bench, also comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat, said when senior advocate C. S.

Vaidyanathan, appearing for Tamil Nadu, objected to the company’s plea.

"There is almost a national emergency and you (Tamil Nadu) don''t put spokes in the solution. We will hear it (plea of Vedanta) tomorrow," the bench said in the hearing conducted through video conferencing.

The apex court on December 2 last year had rejected the interim plea of Vedanta Ltd that it be permitted to inspect its Sterlite copper plant and to operate it for a month to assess the pollution level.

Vedanta had sought handing over of the plant for three months.