Sterlite protest: Copper smelter plant has its power switched off on TNPCB order
Thoothukudi: The beleaguered Sterlite copper smelter factory here was hit by yet another crippling knock with its water and power supplies cut off early Thursday morning following directive from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board ordering the disconnection.
“As the Chief Minister has said in Chennai earlier today, this means that Sterlite is closed down for good. And that meets the demand of the people. So it is now time for us to work towards restoration of normalcy”, the newly appointed district collector Sandeep Nanduri told a crowded press conference here. He was joined by the team of two top bureaucrats who arrived from Chennai to assist the healing process - Gagandeep Singh Bedi and PWC Dawidar - besides the new SP Murali Rambha and IG (south zone) Sailesh Kumar Yadav.
While this signalled a victory for the protesters fighting for the last 100 days for the unit's closure alleging pollution of environment and groundwater, it also paved the way for the battle-ravaged trading town to slowly crawl back to normalcy. Train services resumed in the evening and buses are likely to start plying from early Friday, officials said.
The 100th day rally on May 22 had led to violence as the protesters marched threateningly towards the district collector's office and pelted stones, besides torching vehicles, leading to the police firing that caused the death of 13 people, including two women. The 13th victim breathed his last at the hospital without responding to intensive treatment to the head injury sustained in police lathi-charge, doctors said.
The death due to lathi injury could trigger a fresh wave of protests and demands from rights activists, as well as the locals, for strong action against the 'police brutality'. “They (government/police) had argued that people died of bullet wounds in chest and head because it was not possible to control the direction of fire directed at a charging mob, but how will they explain this brutality with lathis at close range?” asked a local youth.
This apart, the government's efforts at providing not just the 'healing touch' by crippling Sterlite but also rushing two top bureaucrats to assist the district administration could bear fruit albeit gradually.
The officials held a prolonged meeting with representatives of the protesters, traders, the church, educational institutions, theatre owners, besides the public, to elicit views on steps to be taken for bringing back normalcy to Thoothukudi and neighbourhood.
“We heard all the important people on what should be done to restore normalcy. The collector and SP have assured them they would do their best to quickly bring back peaceful atmosphere”, Bedi told reporters.
To a question, he said the Sec 144 prohibitory order would be withdrawn “as soon as possible, depending on the situation, which we are monitoring on a daily basis”.
Collector Nanduri said efforts have been taken to get all the shops and business establishments reopened at the soonest, perhaps early Friday morning; vegetables and milk made available and the Amma Canteens to run round-the-clock to ensure that none went hungry.
Who ordered the police firing?
The question, first raised by actor-politician Kamal Haasan soon after the Tuesday flare-up, was repeated by reporters at the media meet held by senior bureaucrats PWC Dawidar and Gagandeep Singh Bedi, along with the district collector and SP, besides the IG (south).
“We will not comment on it now. That’s part of the Commission of Inquiry (Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission constituted by the government to probe the violence and the police firing) and so we cannot comment on this point”, said transport secretary Dawidar.
TNPCB accuses Sterlite of flouting closure order, cuts off power
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has alleged that Sterlite copper smelter plant at the SIPCOT industrial complex in Thoothukudi “was carrying out activities to resume its production operation” when the environmental engineer carried out inspection of the unit on May 18 and 19, in gross violation of the direction issued by the TNPCB not to resume operation without prior sanction/renewal of consent from the Board.
Following the detection of the violation by the unit, the TNPCB said on Wednesday, it has now ordered “the closure and disconnection of power supply” with immediate effect and directed the TANGEDCO to carry out at once the snapping of power connection to the unit.
The TNPCB directive also recalled that Sterlite application for issue of 'renewal of consent' for the years 2018-2023 had been rejected on 04 April, 2018 “due to non-compliance of certain conditions” imposed in the previous renewal of consent order issued to the unit in September 2017. After that, on April 12, the company was told firmly to resume production operation “without obtaining prior approval/ renewal of consent from the Board”.
However, the Joint Chief Environmental Engineer in Tirunelveli reported to TNPCB that during his inspection of the unit on May 18 and 19, it was found that activities were still on to resume production operation and so “recommended for the issue of direction for closure and discontinuance of power supply to the unit”, said the TNPCB communication ordering the snapping of water supply to the Sterlite unit.
