Chennai: The Sterlite unit in Thoothukudi rejected state government’s move for a recent survey around the Sterlite Copper plant without the knowledge of the stakeholders, including the unit in Thoothukudi. Speaking to mediapersons after attending the National Green Tribunal appointed special committee to look into Vedanta’s plea challenging the plant’s closure, vice-president, Sterlite Copper Plant, (Projects) A. Sumathi said this on Monday.
On Sunday, the TNPCB informed the committee that the ambient air quality around the Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi has improved since its closure. Challenging the TNPCB move to conduct the survey two weeks ago, Sumathi said there was no need to conduct the survey at this juncture. The study was not conducted properly and notice was not given to stakeholders, including Sterlite, in advance. Already, the TNPCB has been monitoring Thoothukudi town and surrounding areas for 24 hours. The Board has sufficient data regarding the ambient air and water quality. This being so, the TNPCB conducted the survey on October 12 and 13 at only two selected spots. Based on this survey the TNPCB held that the ambient air quality around the Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi had improved after its closure.
The Sterlite unit has been following all norms set by the Central and state governments authorities. “Sterlite’s smelter is one of the best in the world,” she said. Dismissing allegations that Sterlite was responsible for causing cancer to people in the region, Sumathi said that more than 1,500 Sterlite employees live in quarters about 75 meters to 1 km away from the unit and no one in the quarters suffered from cancer. Sumathi also said that no one in Thoothukudi was affected by cancer due to arsenic.
The three-member committee appointed by NGT, New Delhi, to assess the environmental impact caused by Vedanta Group’s Sterlite Copper unit in Thoothukudi, concluded its hearing in Chennai on Monday. The NGT directed the committee led by former Meghalaya high court Chief Justice Tarun Agarwal to visit Thoothukudi, examine the technical data and submit a report on the issue. As per the direction of the NGT, the committee visited Thoothukudi and held a public hearing on September 23. Later, it conducted a hearing in Chennai on September 24, where counsels for Sterlite, state government, MDMK leader Vaiko, fishermen, local residents and others, appeared before the committee and expressed their views. Later, the committee convened hearings on October 5 and 6. Again it resumed the hearing on Sunday. The committee will submit its report to the NGT in a fortnight.
During the hearing, counsel for Sterlite had challenged state government’s move to shut down the plant and stated that the closure order was arbitrary and violated norms. Sufficient time was not given to Sterlite to respond. More than 1 lakh petitions were submitted before the committee to reopen the unit. However, opposing this, local residents, traders, fishermen and others submitted more than four lakh petitions demanding that the committee not recommend reopening of the unit.
