The Tamil Nadu government has constituted a seven member panel to monitor the Vedanta oxygen plant at Tuticorin as per the orders of the Supreme Court to supervise the entire production of oxygen at Vedanta's Sterlite plant.
The seven member team constituted by the Government comprises the Tuticorin district collector who heads it along with the Tuticorin district superintendent of police, sub collector, district environmental engineer of pollution control board, deputy chief chemist of Tuticorin thermal power station and two environmental experts to be nominated as per the Supreme Court orders.
Vedanta CEO Pankaj Kumar had earlier written to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami stating that the company's two oxygen plants together have the capacity to produce 1,000 tons of oxygen daily.
The supply of power to operate the oxygen plant and other related units will be by the state power utility and Vedanta cannot use its own power facilities.
The company had also written to the Supreme Court which had allowed oxygen from its plant in Tuticorin which had been shut down by an order of the Tamil Nadu government following mass agitations against the Sterlite plant.
The Sterlite plant was closed down in Tamil Nadu in March 2018 following months of agitation by the local people and activists. The company's plea to access the plant for maintenance was not entertained by the court.
Open only for oxygen production
The Supreme Court earlier this week allowed Vedanta's Sterlite plant in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu to produce oxygen, as it is a 'national need'. The court said that only the Oxygen plant will be allowed to operate and that the order was passed in view of the national need for oxygen.
The apex court asked the Tamil Nadu government to form a panel to monitor activities at the Vedanta's copper unit at Tuticorin, which is closed since May 2018. "Vedanta shall not be allowed to enter, operate copper smelting plant under the garb of this order. There should be no political bickering over generation of oxygen by Vedanta, it's a national crisis," the bench specified.
The apex court heard the Vedanta's plea which sought opening of its Sterlite copper unit at Tuticorin on the ground that it will produce tonnes of oxygen and give it free of cost to treat patients. Vedanta had approached the concerned high court in February 2019, and sought permission to reopen Sterlite plant which was closed following a May 23, 2018 order.
