Vedanta Limited has approached the Madras High Court seeking permission to carry out essential maintenance activities at its Thoothukudi Sterlite copper smelting plant, which remains sealed since May 28, 2018, until the court pronounces its verdict on cases challenging permanent closure of the plant.
In an additional affidavit filed in the court on Thursday, the company alleged that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) as well as the district administration had failed to maintain the plant and its machinery properly as assured to the court and such indifference had caused grave threat to structural stability of the entire plant.
Referring to a spate of industrial accidents reported across the country in chemical / metallurgical plants due to unexpected shutdown of factories due to the lockdown to fight COVID-19, Vedanta said regular maintenance of such plants was highly essential not only for their upkeep but also to ensure prevention of any environmental hazards.
The company pointed out that it had filed a batch of writ petitions in the High Court last year challenging different orders passed by the State government and the TNPCB refusing renewal of consent to operate the plant, ordering disconnection of power supply and deciding to seal the entire plant and not allow it to be reopened permanently.
Right at the stage of admission of those cases, the company insisted upon interim orders permitting it to maintain the plant. However, it decided to get along with the hearing on the main cases itself since it was assured that the TNPCB as well as the district administration would take care of the maintenance and ensure that there was no environmental hazard.
Though the hearing got completed on January 8 this year and the judgement was reserved, the officials had completely failed to maintain the plant which had suffered severe water logging owing to seasonal rains and overflow of storm water from the rainwater collection sumps. The plant was now inundated posing grave threat to people in the vicinity, it claimed.
Estimating that it would require 750 personnel to undertake the care and maintenance activities, the company said, and urged the court to grant permission only for such activities. It gave an undertaking that it shall not commence regular operations without the express leave of the court if such interim permission to maintain the plant was granted.
