Activists say Sterlite made false representations

Chennai

Vellathai, a resident of Kumareddiyapuram, a village a few kilometres from Sterlite’s plant, broke down while speaking about her 24-year-old son. “He died due to stomach ailments, which the doctors said was due to the pollution caused by the plant. But, they are not willing to officially state it. My 24-year-old daughter is suffering from menstrual complications. The plant has ruined our land and lives by polluting the groundwater and air,” she said. She has made representations to various officials, including the Collector, but in vain. “I want my village to be as it was 23 years ago — fertile. Let us live in peace,” she wept. 

A report titled ‘Toxic Conspiracy — How Governments are Helping Sterlite Violate the Law’ by the Chennai Solidarity Group revealed that the environmental clearance granted to the company in 2009 was done on “false representations”. 

Tracing the genesis of the injustice, the report said the Ministry of Environment and Forests granted Environmental Clearance to Sterlite’s 1,200 tonne-per-day copper smelter complex, without public consultation, arguing that the site fell within the existing SIPCOT Industrial Complex. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) too granted the consent to establish it in 2016. Exemption from public consultation under the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2006 is available only to projects coming up within industrial estates that are approved by appropriate authorities. 

The report added that the project site, where the work has commenced, is not located in the 1,038-acre of SIPCOT Industrial Complex. “Rather, it is within a separate 1,616-acre parcel of land that is only now being proposed to be developed as a standalone Tuticorin Industrial Park (TIP) by SIPCOT. Approvals for the project haven’t yet been obtained and development of the project has not commenced.” 

A public hearing for SIPCOT’s proposed TIP project scheduled on January 25 was cancelled due to opposition. The report also pointed out that SIPCOT had suppressed the fact that it had already allotted 324 acres to Sterlite within the TIP and the Environmental Impact Assessment for the project failed to assess the impact of the Sterlite’s copper smelter. 

Environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman, who authored the report, said, “This is a breakdown of the government machinery.”

STERLITE SAGA

• 25.03.1981 — Govt of Tamil Nadu, Industries Department, issued a GO (G.O. 383) sanctioning SIPCOT to acquire lands to establish a ‘growth centre’ in Thoothukudi.
• 18.12.1996 — Govt of TN, Industries Department, issued GO 233 for industrial complex Phase II scheme on 1,616 acres in Therku Veerapandiapuram and Meelavittan villages (lands measuring 324 acres were allocated by SIPCOT to Sterlite through three lease deeds. These lands fell outside the SIPCOT industrial complex and were a part of the 1,616 acre parcel acquired through GO 233 of 1996).
• 01.01.2009 — Sterlite industries was issued Environmental Clearance (EC) for 1,200 tpd (tonnes per day) copper smelter on 228.57 acres. Public hearing exemption given since it was located within SIPCOT Industrial Complex.
• 27.10.2014 — SIPCOT submitted an application to MoEF seeking Terms of Reference (ToR) for preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to establish the Tuticorin Industrial Park.
• 16.07.2015 — SIPCOT submitted a request to amend the ToR.
• 23.05.2016 — MoEF issued revised ToRs to SIPCOT for preparation of EIA.
• 15.12.2017 — Notice for public hearing for the proposed SIPCOT Tuticorin Industrial Park published in local dailies.
• 25.01.2018 — Public hearing held but cancelled due to public opposition.
• 14.02.2018 — Sterlite Copper submitted an application to the MoEF seeking ToRs for 1,200 tpd copper smelter since the earlier EC dated 01.01.2009 will expire in December 2018.

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