Chennai/Thoothukudi: The Tamil Nadu government Monday issued orders closing the copper smelter plant in Thoothukudi owned by the Vedanta Group, a week after 13 people were killed in police firing during protests against continued functioning of the unit.
The government order said it has been brought to the notice of the government that Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) did not renew the ‘Consent to Operate’ to the copper smelter plant in Thoothukudi by its order of April 9 this year and subsequently May 23, the PCB has also issued directions for closure and disconnection of power supply.
“Under Sections 18(1)(B) of the Water Act, 1974 in the larger public interest, the government endorses the closure direction of the TNPCB and also direct the TNPCB to seal the unit and close the plant permanently,” said the order.
Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy said in a separate statement that the ‘Consent to Operate’ permission for the copper smelter plant ended in March this year and it was not renewed by the TNPCB. The electricity and water connections to the plant have been disconnected from May 24, he said.
The Chief Minister said the demand of the people of Thoothukudi to the government for closure of the plant has been accepted by the government and orders have been issued to this effect.
The order is also significant because the protesters against the functioning of the copper smelter have been demanding that the government should issue formal orders as they would not be satisfied with verbal promises.
Panneerselvam said he met 47 injured persons and consoled them, and received representations from them which will be fulfilled. He said compensation has already been provided to all the injured he met. The visit of the Deputy Chief Minister, who is also the top leader of the ruling AIADMK, comes at a time when the city has just got back on its feet.
Large-scale violence May 22 against the Sterlite copper plant here and police firing led to the death of 12 persons and the next day saw one more youth succumbing to injuries sustained in police firing.
Sterlite Copper is a unit of Vedanta Ltd which operates a 400,000-tonne per annum capacity plant here. With the return of normalcy, prohibitory orders were relaxed and the internet services have also been restored fully.
“Peace has returned to Tuticorin and it will continue and the district administration is working towards that,” the DCM. Panneerselvam also visited the district collectorate which had borne the brunt of the violence May 22 and held discussions with district officials.
Meanwhile, an AIADMK information technology wing functionary C Hari Prabhakaran, who made an abusive tweet against journalists, was expelled from the party.
“Reporters are not allowed to shoot inside the hospital during the DCM visit – street dogs who shout for biscuits will be tied on the gate rather allowing them inside,” he had said on his Twitter handle.
Prabhakaran subsequently deleted the tweet.
The AIADMK release said Hari Prabhakaran, Kanchipuram East District IT Wing Joint Secretary was removed from all his party posts, including primary membership, for acting against the party principles and for bringing disrepute.
SC no to urgent hearing
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday refused to urgently hear a plea seeking direction to Tamil Nadu government to file a status report on its efforts to control arsenic and cadmium pollution in the ground water around the Sterlite Copper’s smelting plant. At least 13 persons were killed and hundreds injured in the recent police firing on thousands of protesters demanding closure of the unit for polluting the area causing severe health problems for residents and depletion of water table. The fresh plea has sought a status report on the steps taken to remove the copper sludge deposited by the company.