At least 11 protesters dead in Tamil Nadu: Why villagers want to shut down Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi

Sterlite’s copper smelter plant in Thoothukudi district has always remained in the news for wrong reasons ever since the then chief minister J Jayalalithaa laid the foundation stone in October 1994. Things went on the boil on Tuesday when 11 protesters were killed in police action. Also, more than 65 people were injured in the clashes between agitated protestors and police officials.

The protest that began opposing setting up of the smelter plant continued to be fought in various courts and forums by the local people and the activists, but the plant continued its operation except for temporary shutdowns.

As the people continued their protest against the Sterlite’s alleged noxious gas leaks and bad effluent management for over two decades, the fresh protest started in February this year when the company commenced works on its second unit amid opposition from the local people.

Residents of A Kumarareddiyapuram, a village adjacent to the Sterlite Copper Smelting plant, have been protesting seeking an immediate shutdown of the plant and also to scrap the expansion plan citing severe pollution of air, contamination of water and soil. The protest got much-needed attention when the Thoothukudi town remained shut for a day on March 24 and ended with a public rally which attracted thousands of people. The plant which was shut down for maintenance on March 29 continued to remain locked down after the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board refused to grant consent to operate license.

Environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman said that the villagers continued their protest which entered 100th day on Tuesday as they did not trust the pollution control board and the government. He said that the reasons cited for the non-renewal of the license were a lame one. “A completely lame excuses and lame reasons which will not stand the legal scrutiny just by themselves. There are far more substantial illegalities by the company,” he said, adding that with the past experience from the pollution control board and the district administration, the people were aware that they would shut the company down for a short while and reopen as soon as the condition is better.

He noted that the company continued with the illegal construction of a second smelter of the same capacity. “At the time when the people are asking for the shutdown of the four lakh tonne per annum that is currently operating. The government is sitting quiet and watching another four lakh tonne per annum copper smelter is being constructed, again illegally, by falsely declaring its location that it is located inside the notified industrial estate,” he said.

The activist said that the pollution control board allowed the company to operate flouting norms for over two decades even while exposing the local villagers to a high level of pollution. The company which began its operation with the manufacturing capacity of 40,000 tonnes per annum continued to function with a 60-metre stack even as it production capacity gone up to four lakh tonnes per annum, he said, noting that the company has proposed to set up a 165 m tall stack for its proposed new plant with a production capacity of four lakh tonnes per annum.

The Vedanta Group, which owns Sterlite Copper, said in a statement that the plant has received the necessary regulatory clearances for expansion and it will the development and well being of all the communities around its operations.