Sterlite expects to reopen Tuticorin plant in next few months

Sterlite Copper Wednesday expressed hope that it will resume operations in the next couple of months at its Tutocrin plant which was shut after 13 people died during protests a year ago.

On May 22, 2018, anti-Sterlite protests turned violent with the agitators fighting pitched battles with the police and 13 people were killed in police firing.

The first anniversary of the incident was observed in Tuticorin Wednesday, with scores of locals turning up to remember the victims.

"We are hopeful of starting the plant in next couple of months," Sterlite Copper CEO Pankaj Kumar told PTI over phone.

The protesters were demanding the closure of Vedanta's Sterlite Copper unit in Tuticorin over pollution concerns.

Kumar, however, was of the view that "high current was created by some vested interests to show that we are not complying to environment. But the fact is that we are much below the standard set up by pollution control board."
Earlier in the month during a conference call, Vedanta's Chief Executive Officer Kuldip Kaura had said, "As you are aware, the consent to operate at Tuticorin was not approved and we have engaged with the authorities with the responses to some of the questions which they raised and we believe the resolution for this should happen soon."