Closure will prevent further cancers and pollution of ground water. This is much beneficial than losing economically. Common sense is rare these days...
Pollution is not something specific to only industries. Every human being is a big polluter. Even modern agriculture with use of fertilizer and pesticide is big polluter.Every vehicle on the road is big polluter.So,can we start abandoning all of this?What about the jobs.What about 'make in India'? Good by to all FDI?
Hindustan Copper produces just around 36,000 tonnes copper annually, and hence does not see itself filling in for the copper shortage caused by the Sterlite plant closure - Why not, let these 'lazy beedy smokers and sleeping beneath neem trees' of PSEs work with OT and commitment to double the production. Let Govt. permit relocation of Sterlite plant in AP WITH SO MANY Ports for I&E. Regarding importing of FGs, why not when a waste material like gold is imported unabated.
of town and country planning rules, still continues to hold 500 acres of land in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra !
This land, which was procured by the govt of Mah from Mango farmers in 1992 at dirt cheap prices without declaring what it is being procured for, was allocated on long lease immediately after procurement to Sterlite industries by the MSIDC to set up their copper smelter.
When the Mango farmers and other villagers in the surrounding areas came to know what is going to be set up, they went on a fierce protest en masse citing threat to their lives and livelihoods due to the certain possibility of pollution. Their protests were so massive and began to draw in the people of the entire Ratnagiri coastal district that politicians of different parties began joining them and taking up their protest. The govt appointed a committee and it reported after a few months that such polluters would seriously damage the fragile Ratnagiri coastal environment.
Meanwhile, unmindful of the continuous protests that began right after it was allocated the land, Sterlite had been feverishly constructing their plant with the obvious purpose of arguing that it was too late to abandon the project in case they were asked to.
However, owing to the massive protests and the adverse committee report, the collector ordered the company to stop work in July 1993. It was after this that Sterlite began hunting for an alternate site and identified Tamil Nadu, then under the tight and extremely corrupt rule of Jayalalitha, as a *suitable* place !
The allocation of land (within the equally fragile Gulf of Mannar bio sphere) and clearances to begin construction (both from Jayalalitha and the Narasimha Rao govt at the centre) arrived in double quick time !
But.....what about the 500 acres of land (now worth immensely more than it was in 1992) that was leased to Sterlite in Ratnagiri ?
Well, as per the terms of that lease, if the allottee does not or cannot use it for the purpose mentioned in the lease deed, it is to be surrendered back to the MSIDC !
Has Sterlite surrendered possession ? Oh no !
It has given the excuse that it invested about Rs 80 crores in 1992 for construction of the plant for holding onto the land and the regulators (MSIDC and the govt of Mah) have very helpfully dragged the case (filed by an independent person) in court for more than 22 years !!
