Chennai: The second consignment of tanker containing 6.34 MT of 96.3 per cent purity medical oxygen has been dispatched to the Thoothukudi Government Hospital to meet the immediate needs of the treatment of Covid patients from Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper Smelter plant.
After a technical glitch halted oxygen production in the unit on 14 May, the snag was rectified and the production of medical oxygen resumed at the plant Wednesday.
A Vedanta release said a tanker containing 6.34 MT of oxygen was sent to Thoothukudi government hospital to meet the immediate needs of the district.
“As per instructions of the nodal agency, 6 MT of oxygen will also be sent to the Kanyakumari Government Hospital and 5 MT to the Tirunelveli Government Hospital,” it said.
“We reiterate our gratitude to the local administration for aiding the quick recommencement of our oxygen operations,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Legal Advisor of the Anti-Sterlite movement, S Vanchinathan, appealed to Chief Minister MK Stalin to exercise power to permanently shut down the copper smelter Sterlite in Thoothukudi.
In a statement, Vanchinathan alleged that the industry destroyed human lives and the environment.
“The State government is empowered to order the removal of Sterlite permanently under the Section 133 of CrPC,” he said and pointed out to CM’s election promise of not allowing it to reopen.
Vanchinathan urged Stalin to announce the permanent removal of the industry on 22 May, the third death anniversary of the 15 people, who died in the police firing during Thoothukudi Anti-Sterlite protest in 2018.