THOOTHUKUDI: Over 1,000 people laid siege to the collectorate on Monday, demanding a "green restart" of the defunct Sterlite Copper smelter in Thoothukudi.
The protesters cited unemployment and claimed that the green restart -- a proposal recommended by Vedanta's expert panel -- would address pollution issues, which was one of the major concerns.
Many police personnel were deployed for bandobust duty, and they set up barricades in front of the collectorate to prevent the huge crowd from entering the premises. People from villages surrounding the SIPCOT complex, Tsunami colony, and various associations took part.
Roja Raja, claiming to be a member of a conch divers' association, said he was a part of the anti-Sterlite agitation that led to the closure of the plant in 2018, but he now wants the plant be reopened.
He said the plant authorities, who had been distributing welfare assistance, have promised to provide propellers for the boats at a subsidised cost. Selvi, another protester, said that many of the previous workers of the plant still could not land a good job.
The police permitted 10 protesters to meet collector K Elambahavath and represent their demand.