Sterlite Copper is in the eye of a storm with environmentalists and politicians virtually laying siege to its smelter plan in Tuticorin. The company with a chequered past, which includes closure orders by courts and pollution control boards, says its pollution control norms are of international standards. In an interview with
Rajesh Chandramouli
, Sterlite Copper CEO
P Ramnath
says the protests are engineered by foreign-funded activists.
What is the current status of Sterlite’s operations?
We are operating a four lakh tonnes per annum copper smelter with associated facilities for sulphuric acid and phosphoric acid production. The plant is undergoing planned maintenance shutdown, which is on track, and will be completed as per the plan.
How is your expansion project taking shape? Do you have all approvals in place?
The proposed copper smelter plant - II will add an annual production capacity of four lakh tonnes. The capital cost for the expansion is estimated at Rs3,000 crore. We have received all the necessary regulatory clearances for the expansion, and our primary commitment is to ensure the development and well-being of all the communities around our operations.
Zero discharge systems, utilisation of waste for sustainable applications, energy efficient systems and stringent emission monitoring are part Sterlite Copper, and these would be strengthened through the expansion.
The smelter expansion plant is self-reliant in terms of power and water requirements, and will not use any nearby natural resources. It will be powered by captive thermal power plant of 160MW capacity and plans to use desalinated and sewage treatment plant water. In terms of safety and environmental aspects, the plant will consider the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Guidelines in the design and operation stages, which is more stringent than our national standards. It will create value and enhance the well-being of the communities in the region. The expansion would generate 2,500 direct jobs and more than 20,000 indirect jobs. We started copper smelter plant-II construction in June 2017.
Why are these protests happening now?
People and organisations with ulterior motives are trying to wrongfully show the expansion project being harmful to communities in Tuticorin and derail the development of Tamil Nadu and the country at large.
Who are behind the protests?
These protests and misconceptions were directly fanned by foreign-funded local activists. All the recent protests show a clear pattern of using false propaganda to stop the industrial projecvts such as Kudankulam, neutrino project and Sterlite Copper. These are to jeopardise development of Tamil Nadu.
Did the management not read the tension on the ground?
We are in constant touch with the local community, and a majority of the people here have welcomed the project. However, certain anti-development activists are trying to derail the process to push forward their personal agenda.
Protestors are alleging that there is a substantial drop in air, water and soil quality.
The
Supreme Court has observed from the earlier NEERI reports (of 1998,1999) that there were certain deviations in some parameters, but it has also pointed out that it does not warrant a conclusion that the plant will not be able to take remedial steps to improve the environment.
Subsequently we undertook remedial measures as per TNPCB recommendations to eliminate the possibility of any such deviations. Since then all the parameters have been regularly monitored by authorities and found to be within the prescribed limits.
The National
Green Tribunal (NGT) observed in its interim order dated July 15, 2013: "Let the appellant industry proceed to comply with the recommendations/ suggestions made by the special expert committee within a time-bound schedule. Since the appellant company is neither an existing pollutant nor is a threat of future pollution (not violating prescribed standards) resulting in health hazards, we see no reason to vary our interim order dated 31st May, 2013".
The Supreme court and the NGT have put to rest all such allegations in 2013. But the protestors rely on assumptions and accusations without any data.
Have you complied with all safety and pollution related guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court?
We have complied with all 30 guidelines laid out by the Supreme Court and this has been confirmed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board.
