Covid national emergency: SC

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 22

Terming the Covid-19 pandemic as “almost a national emergency”, the Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on Friday Vedanta’s plea for reopening of its Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu after the company said it would produce 1,000 tonnes of oxygen and give it free of cost to treat Covid-19 patients.

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The plant has remained closed since 2018 over alleged violation of environmental norms and the company said it would open it for the purpose of producing and supplying medical oxygen to Covid-19 patients.

On behalf of Vedanta, senior counsel Harish Salve told a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde that the plant could produce 1,000 tonnes of oxygen there every day and the company was ready to supply all 1,000 tonnes free of cost. The TN Government opposed the reopening of Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin, saying it was earlier rejected by the top court.

“We understand all this. We will ensure compliance of all environmental norms by the plant and its oxygen producing facility would be allowed to operate. We are on the oxygen plant,” the Bench said when senior advocate CS Vaidyanathan objected to the company’s submission on behalf of the TN Government.