Sealed Vedanta plant allowed to open for Oxygen production
SOUTHERN Indian state, Tamil Nadu has allowed Vedanta's sealed Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi to operate for the production of medical oxygen.
The state government's latest decision follows depleting oxygen reserves amid the massive spread of the Covid-19 in the country.
Closed since 2018 over pollution concerns, the Sterlite plant has been allowed to operate only for four months for medical oxygen production.
The plant was closed in May 2018. While granting the permission, the state government asked the Sterlite plant not to be involved in the production of copper or any other material.
The decision to allow the Sterlite Copper plant to operate for the production of medical oxygen was taken in an all-party meet in Chennai on Monday (26).
Vedanta had earlier moved the Supreme Court, seeking its nod to open the company's Sterlite Copper unit in the state to produce oxygen to treat Covid-19 patients.
Questioning the Tamil Nadu government as to why it cannot take over Vedanta's Sterlite Copper unit while noting the deaths due to lack of oxygen, then Chief Justice SA Bobde had said, ‘We are not interested that Vedanta or A, B or C runs it. We are interested that oxygen should be produced.'
‘Somebody should say something concrete because people are dying due to lack of oxygen,‘ said the bench, also comprising Justices LN Rao and SR Bhat.
The apex court was hearing Vedanta's plea seeking the opening of its Sterlite Copper plant on the ground that it would produce thousand tonnes of oxygen and give it free of cost to treat patients.