Kriti Agrawal
On April 22, the Supreme Court declared the COVID-19 situation a “national emergency”, agreeing to hear Vedanta’s plea for the opening of its Sterlite copper unit in Thoothukudi (Tuticorin), Tamil Nadu, on the grounds that it will manufacture thousands of tonnes of oxygen and distribute it free of charge to patients.
The objection of the Tamil Nadu government, which initially sought hearing of Vedanta’s plea on April 26 and opposed its opening on various grounds, including that it had previously been rejected by the apex court, was unimpressed by a Bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde.
The Bench said when senior advocate C. S. Vaidyanathan for Tamil Nadu objected to the company’s plea, “we understand everything. We will ensure that the plant complies with all environmental regulations, and its oxygen-producing facility will be able to operate. We are on the oxygen farm”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, “the country is in dire need of oxygen and the Centre is augmenting oxygen from whichever source. Vedanta wants to make its plant operational, but let Vedanta only make it operational to manufacture oxygen for health purposes. Between protecting environment and protecting human life, we must lean in favor of protecting human life.”
Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing Vedanta, requested an urgent hearing of the petition during the day, claiming that people are dying on a daily basis and that we should generate and provide oxygen to COVID-19 patients.
Mr. Salve said, “If you give a go-ahead today, we can start in five to six days. The company can produce tonnes of oxygen there every day and is willing to supply it for free.”
The Tamil Nadu government, on the other hand, referred to the records and stated that the company cannot begin producing oxygen for two to four weeks. The interim application will be heard by the Bench on Friday.
The copper unit was shut down by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on May 23, 2018, following violent protests against the unit that left 13 people dead in police firing.
