A six-member technical committee of the Tamil Nadu Government inspected the Sterlite Copper factory on Monday, as the State has to submit its reply to the Supreme Court in a case pertaining to Vedanta’s plea for carrying out maintenance work in the chemical unit.

The manufacturing unit in SIPCOT Industrial Estate remains sealed since May 2018 following violent anti-Sterlite agitations in which 13 persons were killed in police firing. Vedanta, promoter of the company, approached the Supreme Court with a prayer to reopen the plant, or at least allow it to carry out maintenance work in the rapidly crumbling copper manufacturing unit having sulphuric and phosphoric acid plants.

The State government constituted a six-member technical committee, headed by Member Secretary, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board R. Kannan, to inspect the unit and make its submission. On Monday, the team visited the plant to ascertain the condition of the buildings and machinery in various sections of the complex and chemicals stocked in the factory.

 After a four-hour-long inspection, the team members met Collector K. Senthil Raj to share with him their findings.

 During an informal chat with reporters, Mr. Kannan said the team inspected the factory premises and would shortly submit its report, which would be presented before the Supreme Court along with the State government’s affidavit.

 Asked about the present condition of the unit, he said the copper smelter and allied chemical units had not been functioning for the past four years. Hence, the machineries had badly corroded at several places and it was not possible to ascertain their present working condition.

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Printable version | Jul 18, 2022 7:32:48 pm | https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/technical-committee-inspects-defunct-sterlite-copper-unit-in-thoothukudi/article65654651.ece