The Supreme Court on Tuesday permitted Vedanta to operate its closed oxygen (O2) plant at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, saying the order has been passed in view of the “national need” for oxygen.

The apex court asked Tamil Nadu to form a panel, including the district collector and the Tuticorin superintendent of police, to monitor activities at Vedanta’s oxygen plant.

A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud, L Nageswara Rao and S Ravindra Bhat stressed that Vedanta shall not be allowed to enter and operate its copper smelting plant under the garb of this order nor would it create any equity in its favour. It hoped there would be no political bickering over the generation of oxygen by Vedanta as the country is facing a national crisis.

On April 23, the Supreme Court court had said people are dying due to lack of oxygen, and questioned the Tamil Nadu government on why it can’t take over Vedanta’s Sterlite copper unit at Tuticorin, closed since May 2018 over pollution concerns, for producing oxygen to treat COVID-19 patients.

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