1 week Ago By Express News Service
MADURAI: Seeking directions to remove copper slag dumped in the bunds of Uppar River, Korampallam channel, along the Thoothukudi-Tirunelveli national highway and other parts of Thoothukudi district, another public interest litigation (PIL) petition was filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. According to the petitioner, P Rajasekar Subbiah of Thoothukudi, the copper manufacturing unit of Vedanta Group’s ‘Sterlite’ dumped copper slag weighing around 3.5 lakh tonnes near Uppar River, forming a heap of 50 feet.
During heavy rains in 2015, the dumped waste obstructed the flow of flood water from the river, leading to severe inundation in the surrounding areas, he added. Following an inspection by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) in 2018, the company constructed a 200-metre wall around the dumped copper slag to prevent it from mixing with the river water. However, no steps were taken to remove the slag from the spot , due to which the areas near the river were flooded again during the rain in 2023, Subbiah added.
Despite repeated complaints, officials have not taken any action, he claimed and sought the court’s intervention. A bench of Justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri noted that there were some pending cases on the same issue. The judges directed the government counsel to obtain details of the said pending cases and adjourned the matter to October 23.
A similar petition was filed by one SMA Gandhimathi Nathan in August 2018. In December 2018, the then division bench which heard his petition directed the collector to remove the dumped copper slag from the river before January 7, 2019. Similarly, one SP Muthuraman had moved the court in the same year, seeking direction to institute criminal proceedings against Vedanta Group for dumping copper slag in Uppar River.
Early this year, the Supreme Court also reportedly castigated the state government for not removing the copper slag dumped in 11 sites..
