Collector dismisses reports on reopening of Sterlite Copper unit

While responding to a query at the Collectorate on Monday, the Collector said that the unit would not be engaged in any operation until further announcement from the State government. 

Speaking to reporters, Nanduri said the district administration is committed to providing alternate job opportunities for the employees and the contract workers, who relied on the copper unit. 

A dedicated website has been launched for the workers to find them employment and as many as 400 workers have showed interest in it. Several employers have posted about job vacancies on the website, the Collector said. 

Meanwhile, he said about 99 per cent of sulphuric and phosphoric acids have been evacuated from the plant. The rest of the quantity would be evacuated in the remaining two days of the month. However, it requires more time to remove other products such as gypsum, rock phosphate and copper concentrate – which are high in quantity, from the plant. The district administration would seek more time to remove such material. 

Further, the Collector said that furnace oil and petroleum products, which are low in quantity, would be removed within two or three days as their buyers have been identified. However, for copper concentrate, the buyers were yet to be identified, he added. As many as 200 personnel working in three shifts have been engaged in the evacuation process, the Collector asserted.