A couple of days back, an acid leak was reported from the shutdown Sterlite Company, which was written off as a minor acid leak. Except that it is not.
Vedanta Ltd said on Wednesday a sulphuric acid leak from a tank at its southern Indian copper smelter was severe and inaction could lead to serious environmental consequences.
The company also claimed that the sulphuric acid leak, which was detected on Saturday evening and described as “minor” by Thoothukudi Collector Sandeep Nanduri, could have been an act of sabotage, with minimal security posted at the unit.
In a petition before the Madras HC (Madurai Bench) seeking immediate restoration of electricity supply to Sterlite Copper, the company said other inflammable materials needed to be removed immediately.
“A continuous monitoring of the plant is necessary. If acid comes in contact with water, it will cause vigorous reactions,” the petition by Sterlite general manager (Legal) A. Satyapriya said.
Following an inspection, the leak was found in the pipe flanges.
“There is a severe leakage in the pipe flanges and … the pipe flanges are submerged in the acid pool collected in the dykes around the acid storage tank,” the company said.
The acid needs to be cleared immediately, the petition said.
It sought the restoration of electricity to dispose of the inflammable materials, waste and chemicals. Besides, it sought adequate manpower and security not only for removing the materials but also for continuous monitoring of the plant so that the extent of the leak could be assessed.
The petition alleged that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), in a ‘knee-jerk reaction’, without any prior notice issued an order to close and disconnect the power supply. TNPCB had failed to verify if any production was on, the company claimed.
READ ALSO: Acid leak reported from closed Sterlite Company
Vedanta, the Indian subsidiary of London-listed Vedanta Resources, said it sought a limited reconnection of the electricity supply for maintenance to guard against a potential loss of life and damage to air and groundwater.
“There is a grave risk and danger as there are other tanks and there are flammable chemicals and materials within the plant area,” it said.
However, the district’s top administrative official Sandeep Nanduri stuck to the earlier view that the leak was minor.
“That is their version, and this is ours. However, we are completely evacuating the sulphuric acid from all tanks as a safety precaution,” said Nanduri.
Without electricity, emergency support services such as fire hydrants, acid circulation pumps and other safety systems which store gases, liquids, oils, acids and resin cannot be operated. It would also not be possible to use storm and effluent water pumps, in case heavy rains were to flood the plant, the company alleged.
Taking up the petition for hearing, a Division Bench of Justices C.T. Selvam and A.M. Basheer Ahamed adjourned the case to June 25 after Additional Advocate General K. Chellapandian sought time to get instructions in this regard.
The smelter, which has been shut for about three months, annually produces about a million tonnes of sulphuric acid, a corrosive byproduct of copper smelting used as a raw material by the fertiliser industry.
It accounted for over a third of India’s refined copper production and employed over 3,000 people. The company plans to appeal the government’s move to shut the plant.
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