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TN chief minister to decide on Sterlite plant

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi will take a final decision, in a day or two, on the issue of reopening the Rs 13 billion Sterlite copper smelting plant at Tuticorin.

Environment Minister N K K Periyasamy said that certain clarifications had been sought from the four-member expert committee which had submitted a report on the July 5 gas leak.

It may be recalled that the state government had ordered the closure of the plant in the wake of the gas leak which resulted in the hospitalisation of more than 100 people.

The minister said the committee had been asked to ascertain from where the gas had emanated and the results of the blood tests of those hospitalised.

He said the gas which leaked that day was yellow in colour, while sulphur dioxide, which was handled by the Sterlite plant, was colourless. Also, there were a number of plants in the neighbourhood including Ramesh Flowers and Kilburn Industries which handled gases, he pointed out.

Periyasamy said sulphur dioxide was a byproduct from several other industries, including the Tuticorin Alkali Chemicals, in the town.

He said no excess emission of gases had been registered by the Sterlite plant on that day. The plant had facilities to ensure automatic halt to the flow of raw materials in case of excess emission, he added.

He said a preliminary committee set up by the Union environment ministry had given clearance for the Sterlite plant.

He said subsequently, a three-member expert committee led by Dr A A Khan, deputy director of the Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, had found that the plant, with the available facilities, would be able to produce only 40,000 tonnes of copper per year instead of the target of 100,000 tonnes, as it needed further infrastructure to convert excess sulphur dioxide into sulphuric and phosphoric acids.

He said the plant was given license to commence production only after it scaled down its production capacity to 40,000 tonnes per year, erected equipment to treat and recycle its waste water and dismantled equipment installed to let out the waste water into the sea.

EARLIER STORY: Did the gas leak occur in Sterlite or Ramesh Flowers?

UNI