Don’t ban monitor & regulate pollution

Don’t ban monitor & regulate pollution

The Madras High Court’s decision to not allow the reopening of the Vedanta-owned Sterlite Copper smelting plant in Thoothukudi highlights the need for environmental law to change. The unit had been shut down because of lax pollution control at the plant that spoilt local water supplies, local protest, wanton police violence and deaths. The only remedy for violation of norms, as things stand, is closure of the offending unit. This must change.

There has to be a more nuanced approach to dealing with whole gamut of violation of environmental norms. Without a system of multiple remedies, decision-making will continue to view environmental protection and economic activity as oppositional forces. In this instance, the closure of the Thoothukudi unit transformed India from a net exporter to a net importer of copper, destroyed jobs at the unit and allied economic activities. The economic imperative does not, however, give environmental damage a free pass. Low-middle income countries with considerable developmental deficits such as India must balance economic growth with the need to minimise adverse environmental impact.

This is not just about minimising waste and pollution resulting from factories like the Sterlite Copper smelting plant. It is about accounting for the economic value of nature and acknowledging that its destruction diminishes human welfare.

Therefore the need to put in place a mechanism that makes for real-time monitoring of potential sources of pollution to ensure compliance with regulation. Real-time data of relevant information should be made public, so that local governments, non-government organisations and citizen groups can sound an alert when things go off-track and force the unit to take corrective steps. Industry must follow these norms.