The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has directed the District collector of Thoothukudi to disconnect power supply to the Sterlite Copper's smelter. The Board found the unit was "carrying out activities to resume production" despite being told not to do so until its licence to operate is renewed.


In the line of Opposition fire, the state government yesterday constituted a Commission of Inquiry headed by retired Madras high court judge Aruna Jagadeesan to probe the violence, and shunted out the Collector and Superintendent of Police of Tuticorin.


Collector N Venkatesh has been replaced by the Collector of neighbouring
Tirunelveli Sandeep Nanduri, while Nilgiris district police chief Murali Rambha will take over from SP P Mahendran.


The Union home ministry has, meanwhile, sought a report from the Tamil Nadu government on the circumstances leading to police firing on protesters demanding the closure of Vedanta groups Sterlite Copper plant, which they claim had polluted ground water in the area, official sources said in New Delhi.


Image: Smoke billows from a burning bus during protests demanding the closure of Vedanta's Sterlite Copper unit, in Tuticorin. Photograph: PTI Photo