Gujarat : Locals detained by the police at the public hearing of the proposed copper smelter plant in Lothpur, Jafrabad

Ahmedabad : Residents in Lothpur village in Jafrabad taluka in Amreli district have voiced serious opposition to the proposed copper smelter plant of Indo Asia Copper. About a dozen residents were detained after raising their voices at the public hearing held at Lothpur village including social innovator from Ahmedabad Mudita Vidhrohi on Wednesday.

Villagers said that the copper smelter plant of Vedanta Group in Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu was shut down in 2018 after 13 people were killed as police opened fire during the protest over alleged pollution caused by it. The Gujarat Government, according to the villagers, is unmoved with the hazardous impact of the copper smelter plant on the lives of the villagers in Lothpur and other 30 villages surrounding the proposed plant.

The detention of the locals unfolded as Mudita and the villagers voiced their opposition to the environmental implications of the proposed project. Their voices were swiftly silenced, with Mudita’s microphone switched off and her being forcibly removed from the venue, along with other dissenting locals.

The proposed copper smelter plant, which resurfaced after two decades, has reignited concerns among residents of Lothpur and neighboring villages in Jafrabad taluka, Amreli district. The land, earmarked for the plant on the Hindorna-Barpatoli stretch, witnessed a similar public hearing years ago, leading to the shelving of the project following widespread agitation. However, with fresh plans on the horizon, the company aims to revisit its proposal, despite vehement opposition from the local community.

Residents fear the adverse environmental impact and rampant pollution that would accompany the establishment of the smelter plant in their vicinity. Their apprehensions stem from past experiences and the potential health risks posed to hundreds of villagers. The company’s representatives had previously abandoned their visit to Nigala last year in the face of vehement protests, only to return with renewed intentions this time around.

Indo Asia Copper’s memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat government in 2021 signaled the commencement of plans for a copper smelter and fertilizer complex in Rajula, Amreli district, with operations slated to begin in 2025.

The mammoth project entails a staggering investment of Rs. 17,000 crore. The proposed plant is set to affect eight villages within a five-kilometer radius, namely Vandh Nageshri, Kagvadar, Mithapar, Sarovarda, Koli Kanthariya, Balani Vav, Vandh Lunsapur, and Kovaya and other 20-odd villages in its periphery.

Mudita Vidhrohi, social innovator said, “We have a classic example of Vedanta Group’s copper smelter plant in Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu where 13 villages lost their lives in police firing. We do not want same to happen in Jafrabad taluka. The copper smelter plant will pose danger to the environment and health of hundreds of thousands of people in its vicinity”

Vidhrohi added, “We will fight till our last breath to save Jafrabad and its eco-system including its marine life and forest. It is said that the area where Indo Asia Copper is setting up its plant is frequented by lions of the Gir forest”.