Woes continue to plague Sterlite

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Woes continue to plague Sterlite

M. ARULOLI
DC | THOOTHUKUDI

Oct. 13: Problems continue to plague Sterlite Industries India Ltd, with the death of a lorry driver working for the company Tuesday night the latest in a series of setbacks for the copper and mining giant. Lorry driver Muthukrishnan, 21, of Oothumalai near Alangulam in Tirunelveli district, was admitted to a private hospital with severe burn injuries caused due to a sulphuric acid spill while the chemical was being loaded into a tanker at Sterlite on September 18.

Though the Sterlite administration bore the Muthukrishnan’s entire medical expenses, anti-Sterlite activists objected to relatives of the deceased receiving the body at the hospital and demanded the immediate closure of the company. After much haggling, Muthukrishnan’s relatives finally took the body to their native village in Tirunelveli district Wednesday afternoon.

The agitators, however continued to protest and staged a road blockade.

They dispersed only after the police registered a case against Sankara Pandian, manager of the sulphuric acid plant at Sterlite.

Speaking to DC, J. Prabaharan, one of the coordinators of the anti-Sterlite movement said around 15 people died in various accidents inside the plant in the past five years.

The company was charged with evasion of import duty of `750 crore two months ago. In the case that is pending with the Madurai bench of the high court, Sterlite vice-president Varadharajan was arrested. Later, on August 21, a Sterlite-owned vehicle was seized for illegally transporting `50 crore worth dore (gold alloy) anode from Thoothukudi to Chennai. The next blow, much more severe, came on September 28, when the Madras high court in a case filed by six organisations ordered the immediate closure of the company’s main factory in Thoothukudi because it was highly detrimental to the environment.

Anti-Sterlite activists objected to relatives of the deceased receiving the body at the hospital and demanded the immediate closure of the company.