Page 184 - CW E-Magazine (19-3-2024)

Special Report

First Sterlite, now Coromandel – what next

in Tamil Nadu?

t is reported in the media that media. However, the
around 200 Chennai residents came State Government, N.S. VENKATARAMAN
Itogether for a demonstration at which bowed to mob Director
Besant Nagar in on March 3, 2024 in pressure to close down Nandini Consultancy Centre
solidarity with the residents of Ennore, the unit, seems deaf Chennai
who have been demanding that the to their pleas. It also Email: nsvenkatchennai@gmail.com
fertiliser unit of Coromandel Inter- seems that learned and not human error. In other words,
national Ltd. (CIL) at Ennore, in Chennai, judges of the Supreme Court have not the leak occurred due to reasons
be closed once for all. heard the views of the local people and beyond the control of the company.
employees of Sterlite Copper, nor the
Earlier, there were protests by conclusions of several investigative The fact is that the leak happened
groups of people against the Sterlite studies carried out. outside the factory premises and the
Copper project in Tuticorin, alleging company has recorded over 60 years
environmental violations by the unit. Sterlite Copper, it seems, will soon of safe operations, with modern safety
Bowing to the demonstration, the Tamil become history! measures and protocols being followed.
Nadu (TN) Government ordered closure
of the unit. Just recently, the Supreme It is now Coromandel The agitators insist CIL should also
Court pulled down the curtains on the On December 26, 2023, there was be closed once for all. They are follow-
unit. ammonia gas leak in a pipeline ferrying ing the same strategy they adopted
ammonia gas to the factory premises of in the case of Sterlite Copper and are
It was then Sterlite Copper CIL from a ship anchored at the port. organising dharnas and protests.
Sterlite Copper has consistently The Government-appointed committee,
denied violation of environmental norms. which investigated the matter, clearly What next?
Furthermore, studies carried out by said that the leak happened due to re- The fate of Sterlite Copper has
credible agencies a few years after the location of heavy granite boulders been sealed and the same fate is being
closure of the unit revealed no change around the pipeline due to cyclone, sought for CIL by the protesters (some
for the better in the atmospheric or Migjam. The committee concluded the of whom call themselves environmen-
ecological conditions in Tuticorin. This leakage was caused due to the cyclone talists). They seem to enjoy the support
seems to imply that Sterlite Copper did
not cause the pollution, as alleged.

Several experts with extensive
domain knowledge have also pointed
out that the allegations that the unit
caused cancers and contaminated the
sub-soil water in Tuticorin area, were
unfounded.

The local people and direct/indirect
employees of Sterlite Copper, who are
the real stakeholders, have been
demanding that the plant be reopened,
as they believe the closure was unwar-
ranted. They have submitted several
representations to the State and Central
Governments, demanding reopening of
the unit, and have also addressed the

184 Chemical Weekly March 19, 2024

Contents Index to Advertisers Index to Products Advertised