Chennai: Seven years after the Sterlite Copper plant in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi was shut down over allegations of air pollution, water contamination and violation of environmental norms, a section of people in the district are demanding its reopening due to economic losses since the closure.
Local trade unions, former plant employees, fishermen, lorry drivers and villagers claim that the closure of the plant has led to the displacement of around 3,000 families directly and impacted the livelihoods of over 40,000 families in and around the district.
“The worst case is that a crane engineer who used to work with me at the plant is now working at a tea shop in Thoothukudi harbour,” J. Kannan, president of Thoothukudi Contractors’ Association, told ThePrint. He added that the crane engineer used to earn Rs 45,000-Rs 50,000 per month but now makes Rs 500-Rs 700 per day.
Thiyagarajan S, president of Thoothukudi People’s Livelihood Protection Association and advisor for Thoothukudi Contractors’ Association, said: “It is not just those who were dependent on the factory, but also those who had been complaining about the pollution. It was the farmers who complained about the pollution. But the same farmers are now facing an economic crisis due to the closure of the unit.”
According to Thiyagarajan, the cost of DAP (diammonium phosphate) fertiliser widely used in farmlands in the locality shot up from Rs 300 to Rs 2,000, and had just come down to Rs 1,200.
“When the plant was here, they had been manufacturing these fertilisers with the phosphate waste from the industry and were selling them at prices as low as Rs 300. Now, a farmer has to shell out an additional at least Rs 1,000 to purchase the same,” he said.
Since the closure of the plant in 2018 till the year 2021, every now and then, a group of locals or family members of employees of the Sterlie Copper plant would demand its reopening. Then last year, the Supreme Court dismissed pleas by the Vedanta Group, which owns Sterlite Copper, to reopen the plant.
Since December 2024, demands to open the plant have surfaced afresh and intensified.
Thoothukudi Country Boat Shrimp Fishermen Welfare Association and Thenpagam Fishermen Association filed a petition with the district collector on 12 December asking for opening of the plant after an assessment of environmental concerns by an expert committee.
Similarly, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) staged a protest in front of the district collector’s office on 20 December demanding to open the Sterlite Copper plant to address widespread unemployment.
On 22 December, former employees of the plant staged a protest in the district demanding the plant be reopened and claiming that their livelihoods were at stake.
On 6 January this year, Namakkal Lorry Owners’ Association and Namakkal Trailer Owners’ Association staged a demonstration demanding the same.
Standing against the plant, however, are family members of those who had lost their lives in police firing during a protest against the plant in 2018.
J. Vanitha, mother of Snowlin who was killed in the firing, said her daughter’s death would go meaningless if the plant was reopened.
“We have not even got justice for the death of our daughter. The cases filed in regard to the police firing are still on, and even before they are disposed of, some want to reopen the plant. It is unjust and unfair. I will not let it happen as long as I am alive,” Vanitha told ThePrint over phone.
The Sterlite Copper plant was shut on 28 May, 2018, following violent protests over alleged environmental pollution, which led to the deaths of 13 people in police firing. The Tamil Nadu government subsequently ordered closure of the unit, with the move upheld by the Supreme Court last year.
When asked about the demand to reopen the plant, a state minister, who did not want to be named, told ThePrint that the plant had been shut permanently and there was no scope for reopening it.
“It is a settled matter and even the Supreme Court has upheld the Tamil Nadu government’s order. So, there is no chance of reopening it again,” he said.
Also Read: Shut since 2018 violence, TN Sterlite plant’s closure cost economy Rs 14,749 cr, says study
From specialised jobs to construction site helpers
Ever since the closure of the Sterlite Copper plant, a lot has changed in the (Thoothukudi) town, recalled Kannan.
According to him, over 3,000 families have moved out, while those who could not move have settled for a salary meagre than what they were earning before the plant’s closure.
“Nothing can be restored now. It’s about seven years and people have to survive. So, they have all moved to different fields for a meagre salary,” he said.
He explained that a lot of people specialising in mechanical engineering, gas welding and other fields moved to jobs as helpers at construction sites.
“Those people with specialisations were earning Rs 3,000 per day, but now they work as helpers in different sectors for Rs 700 per day. It is pathetic. Life has gone on and nobody would be waiting these many years with hope of the plant reopening,” Kannan said.
Nevertheless, he added, the government should consider reopening the plant to give employment opportunities to the next generation and for the town to thrive economically.
Not just the engineers, even lorry drivers working at the plant on contract basis suffered huge losses due to the closure.
Namakkal Lorry Owners’ Association president K. Arul said that over 500 people lost their jobs due to the closure of the plant.
“When the plant was operational, at least 9,000 metric tonnes of material was transported from the harbour to the factory. At any point of time, 450 lorries were in operation. But, after the closure of the plant, many lost their jobs and even the lorry owners faced huge losses. They are now drivers for someone else’s lorry,” Arul said.
Economic loss
According to local trade unions, the plant closure was not just a loss for Thoothukudi district but for the state and central government too, which they said lost around Rs 5,000 crore revenue annually over the years.
“It is not just the contractors, lorry owners and other people who were working at the factory and in other small industries dependent on the factory. Even the local economy thrived because of the plant. At any time, you could see at least 10 people standing in front of the factory selling tea and snacks on two-wheelers. During lunch time, you could find at least three persons selling biryani there. They are all gone now,” P. Kathirvel, general secretary of INTUC, said.
He also claimed that no other industry would compensate for the economic loss incurred due to the closure of the Sterlite Copper plant.
“The state government claims to bring in new industries to the city, but to set up an industry and for it to operate, will take years. Even after that, it would give job opportunities only to a small section of educated youth and not on the scale of the Sterlite plant,” Kathirvel said.
A group of people led by Kathirvel had sought permission from the administration and police to hold a protest for reopening of the plant, but it was denied.
Kathirvel has also approached the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court in this regard and the petition is likely to be heard this week.
Meanwhile, the Vedanta Group got permission last month to open the plant for 80 days and shift the machinery there to Silvassa in the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: In Tuticorin, Sterlite Copper is slogging to cope with new medical oxygen supplier avatar
Thoothukudi people still against the Sterlite copper plant. so many of our brothers and sisters are died against Sterlite plant Thoothukudi peoples never forget that sacrifice . only the business personals are need that Sterlite for money they are not care about my Thoothukudi
The article is misleading and relies on baseless figures. The individuals who once worked at this facility have already moved on to better opportunities. This is nothing more than a PR exercise. It’s important to remember that this agency was responsible for the tragic loss of 17 innocent lives. The people of our city have rightly rejected this factory, and today, they are thriving in other sectors.
Ordering the closure of a business should be as hard as starting one.
What a Comedy, Kick out Companies and now cry for them to comeback, Typical LEFTIST-Environmentalist trope, Now cry more if the plant Goes to Gujarat to create Prosperity and Jobs there