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Sterlite Industries expressed confidence that it will overcome the deficiencies listed out in the Supreme Court judgment.
Mr P. Ramnath, Chief Executive Officer, Sterlite Copper, said the company has proactively started implementing some of the recommendations in the Supreme Court ruling.
“The company has allocated additional funds to further fulfil the deficiency as mentioned in the order. We are quite hopeful that all the deficiency pointed out by the Supreme Court would be rectified by the end of the next year,” he added.
Pronouncing its order on a Special Leave Petition, the Supreme Court on Tuesday pointed out the nine areas of deficiencies listed out by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). While posting the next hearing for the first week of January, the Court directed the TNPCB to suggest within two weeks a deadline for the company to rectify the shortcomings.
The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by Sterlite against the Madras High Court order delivered in September last year to shutdown its copper smelter plant at Tuticorin for not complying with environmental norms. The apex court had allowed the company to operate through its interim order.
The Supreme Court has also ordered the company to conduct camps once every six months to monitor the health of people living in the nearby villages.
In order to further control pollution around the plant, the company recently placed orders for fugitive gas desulphurisation equipment with an US company. It expects the project to be completed by the middle of next year.
Sterlite, which produces four lakh tonnes of copper at its Tuticorin plant in Tamil Nadu, has a green belt on over 13 hectares. Even while the case was being heard by the Supreme Court, it covered another six hectares. “We are in the process of getting allotment for 4-5 hectares from SIPCOT (State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu) for additional plantation,” said Mr Ramnath.
Supreme Court's suggestions
Measures on emission control
Install scrubber and bag house in primary smelter by July 2012
Install bag filter in secondary smelter by 2012
Reduce particulate matter in waste heat recovery boiler stack: Complied with
Improve control fugitive/dust emission
Have closed conveyor for gypsum transportation: Complied
Pave roads on premises: Complied
Provide permanent water sprinklers at gypsum pond and enhance dust control at rock phosphate area: February
To improve effluent treatment operation
Remove fluoride in the treated effluent by January 2012
Operate reverse osmosis (RO) plant at 1600 m3 a day: Complied
Have iron removal facility for RO plant by November 11
To improve disposal of rejects arising from ETP (Effluent Treatment Plant)
Expand RO plant evaporation system generate the concentrate in solid form: Complied
Remove temporary storage pond: Complied
To improve storm water drainage and collection
Remove deposited silt in drain and dispose it to secured land fill facility: Complied
Have additional rainwater collection reservoir of 30,000-50,000 m3: October-end
To improve solid waste disposal
Store slag within 10 hectares with stacking height of 12 meters: February 2013
To improve monitoring of air quality, effluent and water consumption:
Provide additional magnetic flow meter (12 numbers) for raw water, rainwater, waste water generation and waste water reuse: November 2011
Have online pH (puissenance de hydrogen) meter in reaction tanks: Complied
Monitor fluoride concentration in groundwater at gypsum ponds: Complied
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