Sterlite Copper Plant: There is a new cool in the market, named Climate Change. I am not denying the fact that the maximum temperature is going up, sea levels are rising, and the world is witnessing global warming. That’s a fact, and there is scientific evidence to support that.
But, how did we end up here? Let me put out some facts. Only 3 blocks namely, the UK, the EU and the USA share more than 50 per cent credit (discredit) for polluting the Earth. If we include Russia, Canada, Japan, and Australia, the share would jump up to above 65 percent, or nearly 2/3rd of overall emissions.
But, who is paying the price? And who is being asked to slow down its growth in the name of global warming and climate change, it’s the third world nations who first contributed to the growth of their colonisers. After gaining independence in the last century, when the countries finally began working towards the growth and development of their own countries, all efforts have been made to bring them down. Who was trusted with this responsibility, the alleged environmentalists who draw their inspiration from the left-liberal intelligentsia. The case with India is no different.
The curious case of Sterlite Copper Plant
There was a plant by the name of Sterlite Copper Plant in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi, which was closed down in May 2018. What happened back then? There were widespread protests in the state by social and environmental activists alleging that the facility was causing widespread and severe pollution in the region. It was alleged by the environmental activists that the pollution from the plant was causing severe diseases among the locals. That time, DMK and AIADMK, the ruling as well as the ruling parties, respectively, took a stand against the Sterlite Copper Plant.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, in 2018, ordered the closure of the plant, a decision that was later upheld by the Madras High Court in August 2020.
What loss the decision incurred to India’s economy?
So, now that you know that a plant has been shut down, it must have had some impact on the economy of the nation. Yes, it did, and a huge one at that. A study done by a Rajasthan based NGO, Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) International, reveals that shutting down the Tamil Nadu Sterlite Copper Plant has cost India over Rs. 14000 crore. The study suggests that there were multidimensional impacts of the shutdown on the economy as well. The shutdown led to the unemployment of the locals, more than 30,000 people had lost their jobs.
Further, detailed analysis suggests that India had been a net exporter of copper for the last two decades, and the Tamil Nadu plant accounted for more than 40 percent of the country’s total copper production. But after the closure, India, earlier an exporter, turned into a net importer in FY 2018–19. From a net export of more than 3 lakh metric tonnes in FY18, the country is now importing over 2 lakh metric tonnes of copper every year. The country earned around 2 billion dollars every year from copper exports, but in that fiscal year, it footed a bill of around 1.2 billion dollars on copper imports. Also, the closure of the Sterlite Copper Plant forced the domestic downstream manufacturers to import copper from countries like Japan, thus creating a stream to flush out foreign exchange. And who are the beneficiaries? None other than India’s archrivals Pakistan and China.
Sterlite protest was foreign funded: Tamil Nadu Governor
It was being speculated that the protest against the plant was funded by our hostile neighbour, China. It was formally said by Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi. In one of his addresses to civil service aspirants, he said that the protest against the Sterlite Copper Plant in Thoothukudi was “fully funded by foreign countries”. He said, “Take the case of Sterlite in Thoothukudi. It [The protest] was purely foreign funded. Police firing that cost innocent lives was unfortunate. But they wanted it to be closed as Sterlite produced 40% of our copper… All those people who were behind the protest were getting funds from foreign countries.”
While politicians from the ruling DMK are demanding evidence from the governor, it is pretty clear that Pakistan and China are direct beneficiaries of the closure. Why, you might ask. It’s because. India’s copper exports went to China (75%) and Taiwan (13%). Earlier, China was dependent on Indian copper, but after the closure, copper exports from Pakistan to China increased by around 400 percent. Pakistan exported copper worth 550 million dollars in 2019, compared to 106 million dollars in exports in 2018.
The current status is that the Ministry of Home Affairs is examining complaints against the NGO that orchestrated the protests for misusing foreign funds.
Also Read: After failing to fulfil its own climate financing goals, west is down to extortion
SC allows Vedanta to carry out maintenance work
The Supreme Court of India has allowed Vedanta Group to carry out the upkeep of the Sterlite Copper Plant in Tamil Nadu. This was informed by Vendantu on Monday. The Supreme Court has granted Vedanta Group permission to carry out actions such as evacuating remaining gypsum, removing industrial trash to prevent environmental damage, and maintaining the green belt at the Sterlite copper factory in Thoothukudi. The corporation was allowed to “open in the national interest” by a three-member Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Justice D Y Chandrachud, according to the statement. Vedanta said it had filed proceedings with the Supreme Court seeking relief to ensure adequate maintenance of the Copper Smelter Plant, which had been closed since 2018. The court evaluated the report of the High Powered Expert Committee and the recommendations of the state administration.
Copper is the new oil
Many know that Copper is the new oil as its demand has surged exponentially, thus bringing a rise in prices. As per Bank of America, the prices of copper are expected to double to 20,000 dollars per metric tonne by 2025 from the recent high of 10,000 dollars per metric tonne. India could have proved to be a big beneficiary of the surge in international prices, had the Dravidian parties not fallen for the Chinese sponsored protests.
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