NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed oil-to-metals conglomerate Vedanta Ltd to operate its Tuticorin plant in Tamil Nadu for producing oxygen. “It is a national crisis and the plant to be operated only for production of medical grade oxygen,” the highest court docket famous.
The court docket constituted a committee headed by Tuticorin collector to oversee the manufacturing of oxygen. It requested the committee to perform a security audit earlier than beginning the manufacturing unit.
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Vedanta has to purchase electrical energy from Tamil Nadu authorities to begin the oxygen plant. The firm’s smelter has been closed for practically three years due to considerations about air pollution.
The court docket clearly talked about that “Vedanta shall not be allowed to enter and operate copper smelting plant under the garb of this (today’s) order.”
Vedanta’s shares, which have practically tripled over the past yr, rose by over 2%.
Overcrowded hospitals in Delhi and elsewhere are turning away sufferers after operating out of provides of medical oxygen and beds as new coronavirus infections in India hit a file peak for a sixth day on Tuesday.
Tamil Nadu ordered the 400,000 tonne every year Sterlite copper smelter to shut in May 2018, every week after 13 individuals died in protest whereas demanding closure of the plant for alleged air pollution.
The firm has persistently denied allegations of air pollution.
“We are committed to making the entire production capacity of 1,000 tonnes available for the purpose of producing medical grade oxygen,” it mentioned in a press release on Monday.
Vedanta, managed by billionaire Anil Agarwal, mentioned final month it was wanting for a state authorities companion to arrange a Rs 10,000 crore ($1.37 billion) copper smelter.
(With inputs from companies)
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