Sterlite Copper 'shocked' at Madras HC verdict, to pursue all legal remedies to reopen Thoothukudi plant

Vedanta-owned Sterlite Copper on Tuesday said it was “shocked” at the verdict of the Madras High Court dismissing its petition challenging Tamil Nadu government’s decision to close down the copper smelter in Thoothukudi, 610 km from here.

Sterlite Copper CEO Pankaj Kumar told DH via video-conferencing that the company was studying the verdict and may move the Supreme Court against Tuesday’s order. He also alleged that “certain forces” are conspiring to stifle India’s ability to be an independent copper manufacturer.

Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi to remain shut; Madras HC dismisses Vedanta’s plea to reopen the plant

"The verdict comes as an utter shock to the employees of Sterlite Copper and the thousands of small businesses, entrepreneurs and community members dependent on our continued operations,” Kumar said, adding that the government authorities did not raise any complaint with regard to pollution with the company in the past five years.

He said more than 1.5 lakh people are dependent – either directly or indirectly – on the Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi and the verdict was a “let down” to the people. He also spoke about India’s dependence on copper imports after the Sterlite plant was shut down in 2018 and warned the demand for the commodity would increase once normalcy returns after Covid-19.

Also read — From 1994 to 2020: Sterlite Copper's journey in Thoothukudi

“The imports will increase as the copper industry grows by 5 to 6 percent every year and when normalcy is restored post-Covid, the demand will shoot up and our dependence on copper import will automatically go up,” he told DH.

He said the company firmly believes in the safe and environmentally sound nature of its operations and is discouraged by the wilful reliance on “anecdotal evidence and half-truths by certain parties to spread falsehoods against our operations.”

“At no point in our operations were any concerns of pollution raised by the appropriate authorities. We will, therefore, be pursuing all available legal remedies in the pursuit of justice over the coming days," he added in the statement.

Kumar also said it is also disheartening to note that at a time when India is forced to depend on hostile neighbours for copper imports, certain forces are conspiring to stifle “our nation’s ability to be an independent copper manufacturer.”