Tamil Nadu Ten People Shot Dead in Police Firing
Ten people were killed as
police opened fire on people who
were protesting, demanding
closure of a copper smelting plant
in Tamil Nadu’s port city of Tuticorin
on May 22. The protesters were
leading a procession towards the
collectorate defying prohibitory
orders. About 20,000 people
gathered at the protest site and
stormed the district collector ’s
office.
CPI (ML) strongly condemns
the brutal repression unleashed
upon the people who are agitating
for a lawful and justified demand.
In March 2013, hundreds of
people suffered breathing difficulty,
nausea and throat infection
following a gas leak from the plant.
Though the plant was ordered to
shut down following allegations of
violating pollution control norms,
the National Green Tribunal had
ultimately allowed it to be reopened.
The Proposed expansion of
the Sterlite copper smelting plant
in Tamil Nadu has renewed protests
among the people of Tuticorin
district. Protests are continuing for
over 45 days, till date in the district
demanding an immediate closure
of the copper plant. On March 24,
2018, thousands of people marched
against the decision to expand the
plant which has been causing
damage to life and environment.
Sterlite copper smelting plant
has faced stiff opposition ever
since its inception in 1996. Sterlite,
a subsidiary of UK Based Vedanta
Group, first chose Maharashtra for
establishing the Copper Smelting
Plant in 1989. But after a huge
protest in 1994 the Maharashtra
government
cancelled
the
agreement and the ordered all
work to be stopped. As in the case
of Koodankulam, the then Tamil
Nadu government lead by
J.Jayalalitha welcomed the plant
June - 2018
and granted 428 Acres of land for
the plant. Development, Job creation
were once again arguments put
forward in favour of establishing
the plant.
The TNPCB gave clearance to
the construction of the plant without
even a public hearing and without
getting
clearance
from
Environmental Impact assessment.
Contrary to this restriction that the
plant should be constructed 25kms
away from the ecologically sensitive
biosphere reserve of Gulf of
Mannar, plant has been constructed
14 Kms away. The Anti-Sterlite
movement Spear-headed the
struggle by organizing hunger
strikes, rallies, human chains and
bandh to show their opposition to
the plant.
On 20.3.1996 more than 500
fisherman laid siege on the Cargo
Ship, M.V.Reesa which carried raw
materials for the Sterlite plant as a
result of which the Ship was
redirected to the Kochi Port.
Casteism was used to engineer a
split in the mass movement. As a
result Sterlite speeded up its
infrastructure and transported the
raw materials from Kochi via Trucks
and started its production. The
TNPCB granted permission for a
production of 40,000 tons of copper.
But the plant has been producing
1,700,000 tons of copper.
The Plant has been emitting
Sulphur dioxide more than the
permissible limits. The 2008, the
Department of Community Medicine,
Tirunelveli Medical College report
titled” Health Status and
Epidemiological Study around 5 km
Radius of Sterlite Industries (India)
Limited, Thoothukudi.” exposed the
various health hazards caused by
this plant. The people in the
nearby locality have suffered eye
irritation and the new born children
are affected with “Primary Complex”
(TB in Children). The temperature
has increased in the surrounding
areas and the frequency of acid
rain has also increased. Phospho-
gypsum a by-product of the
smelting process has been piling
up, which emits radiations increasing
cancer to the people in the locality.
Due to lack of proper processing
and storage of liquid waste the
groundwater has been affected. Iron
content in the surrounding areas
is 17 to 20 times higher than the
normal level.
There have been numerous
accidents in the plant which has
accounted for at least 13
registered deaths and 139 serious
injuries of its workers between the
period of 1996 and 2004 alone.
After 14 years of struggle the
Madras high court ordered the
closure of the plant in 2010. Tamil
Nadu Pollution Control Board
(TNPCB) ordered immediate shut
down of the plant after a gas leak
on March 30, 2013 which caused
suffocation, eye irritation and sore
throat to the people residing in the
plant’s vicinity. On April 2nd 2013,
the Supreme Court (SC) of India
passed its judgment in favour of
the Sterlite Industries to continue
the operation. As a compensation
for the damage to the Environment
which the company has done SC
directed the company to Pay Rs.
100 crores over a period of 3
months.
The toothless Tamil Nadu
government which has been
parroting the stance of central
government in almost all the issues
has been mute on the people’s
demands. Both Congress and BJP
are in the payroll of Vedanta Group.
According to the report by
Association for Democratic Reforms:
“Vedanta group is the top donor to
both the national parties with its
contd. in page 23
21