TN govt cuts power to Sterlite plant after deadly protests
tuticorin — Indian authorities on Thursday cut the power to a large copper smelter run by London-listed Vedanta Resources after police shot and killed 13 people in protests against what they say is pollution generated by the plant.
The pollution control board of the southern state of Tamil Nadu said the smelter, which was shut pending renewal of its operating licence, was found last week to be carrying out activity to resume production without permission.
“The issue of renewal of consent for the year 2018-2023 has been rejected ... due to non compliance of certain conditions,” the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) said in an order dated Wednesday.
It did not elaborate on the conditions the smelter had not met but said it “shall be disconnected with power supply and closed with immediate effect”. The agency told Vedanta it could not resume operations without permission.
The plant has been shut for more than 50 days and had been ordered to stay closed until at least June 6, pending environmental clearances. Vedanta has denied that the smelter has been polluting the air and water.
A protester shot during demonstrations against a copper plant in southern India died of his injuries on Thursday, officials said, the 13th victim killed by police fire.
A curfew remained in pockets of Tuticorin city in Tamil Nadu state where police used live ammunition to disperse protesters this week, provoking international outrage and demands for an immediate investigation.
Calls for the copper smelting plant owned by British mining giant Vedanta Resources to be closed had been building in recent months, with residents complaining it was polluting their city.
The resistance came to a head on Tuesday when police stopped a crowd of thousands from protesting outside the factory.
Cars and buildings were set ablaze and rocks hurled at police, who responded with live fire. Eleven demonstrators were shot dead and many people injured in the melee, including 20 police. Another protester died on Wednesday when he was struck by rubber bullets in a second day of protests.
The latest victim died in hospital on Thursday, two days after being injured, doctors said.
“He was brought in a critical condition with bullet injuries and died today,” a doctor at the local hospital.
Opposition parties on Thursday called for a ‘Tamil Nadu bandh’ on Friday and sought the resignation of the “BJP’s puppet government” in the state over the death of 13 people in police firing in protests against the Sterlite company in Thoothukudi.
DMK leader Kanimozhi accused the Modi government of remotecontrolling the Tamil Nadu government and alleged that the Sterlite factory was able to thrive because of the support it received from the central and state governments. —