Vedanta Ltd today urged the government to ensure safety and security of employees at its copper smelter facility at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu while expressing "regret and sorrow" over incidents of people being killed during protests.
The Thootukudi copper smelter at Tuticorin is run by Vedanta Ltd's Sterlite Copper unit where a man was killed today in new round of police firing on people protesting against the plant's expansion on fears of rising pollution.
As many as 10 people had lost their lives in police action yesterday.
"It is with great sorrow and regret that we witnessed yesterday's incidents around the protest at Tuticorin. The Company has appealed to the Government and authorities to ensure the safety of our employees, facilities and the surrounding community," Vedanta Ltd said in a regulatory filing to the BSE.
The Sterlite Copper plant is currently non-operational as the company awaits approval for the Consent to Operate, it said.
The Madras High Court today stayed a proposed expansion of the plant.
Locals have been agitating for over 100 days now demanding closure of the Vedanta group copper plant over pollution concerns.
The Tamil Nadu government has constituted an inquiry commission to look into the matter. The Commission of Inquiry, headed by Aruna Jagadeesan a retired judge of the Madras High Court, will probe the violence.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of the violence and issued notices to chief secretary and the director general of police, calling for detailed reports in two weeks.
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