Vedanta writes to TN govt and Union Health Minister, provides to provide over 1000 MT of oxygen if Tuticorin plant allowed to open

The medical oxygen requirement of India elevated 7 occasions from 700 tonnes per day to 5000 tonnes per day, amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic creating an enormous disparity within the demand and provide.
Several company giants like TATA, Reliance, SAIL, Jindal have began offering medical oxygen by diverting their manufacturing.
To bridge this hole, Vedanta-owned Sterlite Copper has supplied to restart manufacturing at its two oxygen vegetation within the now shut copper smelter at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. Vedanta stated that the plant accommodates two oxygen vegetation with a mixed manufacturing capability of 1,050 tonnes of oxygen every day.
The firm has despatched two separate letters to the Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on this regard.
The CEO of Sterlite Copper, Pankaj Kumar, within the letter to the Union Ministry wrote, “We would like to now offer these facilities for your use towards ensuring that there is no lack of this vital commodity in the nation.”
“We would be grateful to be allowed this opportunity to support the nation’s needs. Our staff stands prepared to get these two plants operational in the shortest possible time and begin dispatching oxygen to the critical areas as per your direction,” the letter continued.
The firm expressed its want to “join hands with the commendable efforts of our PM at this critical juncture,” as per the letter.
In one other letter directed to CM Palaniswami, the corporate urged, “One oxygen plant of 500 TPD [tonnes per day] can be operated to meet the critical demand of oxygen in this hour of peril… The Oxygen Plant is presently lying shut owing to the orders passed by the TNPCB and the state government, shutting down the copper smelter unit of the company. This is a humble request to grant us the necessary permission and allow us to run the oxygen plant which will be instrumental in supporting the state governments in these critical times.”
Vedanta has additionally filed a petition within the Supreme Court searching for permission to supply oxygen on the smelter, which was closed in mid-March 2018.
In an interview to Business Today, a Sterlite Copper spokesperson knowledgeable, “We have the capacity to produce liquid oxygen also that can be transported in tankers. We have talked to units in Coimbatore who are ready to get us cylinders done in 30 to 45 days.”
Closure of the Sterlite Copper Plant 
The Vedanta-owned Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi was shut down by Tamil Nadu in May 2018 following the violent protests staged by the locals and activists, who alleged that the plant posed critical well being hazards. 
Though the plant later bought clearance by the National Green Tribunal, the state authorities approached the Supreme Court searching for a keep on the National Green Tribunals order. The apex courtroom stayed the order of the NGT and allowed Sterlite Copper to strategy the Madras High Court, which upheld the federal government order. 
The case is now within the Supreme Court with Sterlite Copper difficult the Madras High Court verdict. The firm’s plea to entry the plant for simply upkeep functions has additionally not been entertained by the courtroom up to now.
The closure of the Sterlite Copper plant had such widespread ramifications that it made the nation an importer of copper cathodes from being one of many prime 5 exporters.
Shortage of medical oxygen in India
On witnessing an acute scarcity of medical oxygen, a number of corporations together with Reliance Industries, SAIL, Jindal, Tata Steel and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India have already volunteered to provide oxygen from their services. The metal ministry knowledgeable that 28 oxygen vegetation situated within the metal facility of each private and non-private sectors are supplying about 1,500 tonnes of medical oxygen every single day and extra inventory of 30,000 MT, together with the protection inventory, is being made out there for medical use.