The Tamil Nadu government on Monday allowed Vedanta's Sterlite Industries in Tuticorin to produce oxygen for four months. The decision was taken during an all-party meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami, news agency PTI reported.
Sterlite's plant at Tuticorin has remained closed since May 2018 over pollution concerns.
People are dying due to lack of oxygen,the Supreme Court had said on April 23, asking why the Tamil Nadu government cannot take over the Sterlite copper unit for producing oxygen to treat COVID-19 patients.
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"We are not interested that Vedanta or A, B or C runs it. We are interested that oxygen should be produced," a bench headed by the then Chief Justice S A Bobde had said.
"Somebody should say something concrete because people are dying due to lack of oxygen," said the bench, also comprising Justices L N Rao and S R Bhat.
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The apex court was hearing Vedanta's plea seeking opening of its unit at Tuticorin on the ground that it would produce thousand tonnes of oxygen and give it free of cost to treat COVID-19 patients.
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