[Image Credit: Kadivaalam News]
Hundreds of auto rickshaw drivers from Thoothukudi, led by Karuppasamy, Secretary of the Muthunagar Auto Drivers Welfare Association, met DMK MP Kanimozhi at her camp office on 4 September 2025 to submit a formal petition.
In the petition, the drivers urged the MP to initiate a special resolution in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly for the reopening of the Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi under a “green copper” production model.
#NewsUpdate | கனிமொழி எம்.பி.யிடம் மனு
தூத்துக்குடி ஸ்டெர்லைட் ஆலையை திறக்க சிறப்பு தீர்மானம் கொண்டுவரக்கோரி ஆட்டோ ஓட்டுநர்கள் கனிமொழி எம்.பி.-யிடம் மனு அளித்தனர்
ஸ்டெர்லைட் ஆலை மூடப்பட்டதற்கு சட்டரீதியான காரணங்கள் ஏதுமில்லை என்றும், ஸ்டெர்லைட் ஆலை ஊழியர்கள், அதனை நம்பி இருந்த… pic.twitter.com/d4rt8zAO8H
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) September 4, 2025
The petition highlighted that over a thousand families in Thoothukudi depend on auto driving for their livelihood, with many small businesses and informal workers relying on large-scale industries in the region. The Sterlite Copper plant, they said, had once supported the employment of nearly two lakh people both directly and indirectly.
They noted that the closure of the Sterlite plant allegedly without legal justification had caused widespread economic disruption, not only affecting local livelihoods but also impacting Tamil Nadu’s economy and the nation’s copper supply. Since the shutdown, copper demand has increased, leading to adverse effects such as inflation and rising import costs.
The petition referenced expert recommendations from environmental scientists, including Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. Ganapathy D. Yadav and retired environmental professor Dr. R. Nagendran, who have laid out a roadmap for operating the plant under environmentally sustainable conditions.
The auto drivers appealed to MP Kanimozhi to champion their cause by advocating for the plant’s reopening through a special legislative resolution, enabling it to resume operations with a green production approach and restore thousands of lost livelihoods in the region.
Sterlite protest & Shut Down
In 2018, fringe outfits and missionary-backed groups led a campaign against the Sterlite Copper plant, which the DMK leveraged as a political opportunity to push for its closure. However, the situation has since reversed the people of Thoothukudi are now leading calls for the plant’s revival.
The shutdown dealt a major blow to Tamil Nadu’s economy, stripping Thoothukudi of jobs and triggering financial distress. Meanwhile, Gujarat swiftly capitalized on the gap in copper production. What was once hailed as an environmental win has come full circle, with the DMK now facing the fallout of a decision it once championed.
Mounting Protests from the Ground
In July 2025, hundreds of residents staged a protest outside the District Collector’s Office, demanding the reopening of the Sterlite plant they once opposed. Villagers from Pandaram Patti South, Veerapandiapuram, fisherfolk from Threspuram, and members of women’s self-help groups rallied, stating that the plant’s closure had robbed them of jobs and economic security.
Amid heightened tensions, a strong police presence was deployed. Only a few representatives were permitted to meet the Collector and submit a petition on behalf of the demonstrators.
ஸ்டெர்லைட் ஆலையை மீண்டும் திறக்க வலியுறுத்தல்… மீனவ கிராம மக்கள் முற்றுகை போராட்டம்#THoothukudi #SterliteFactory #Fisherman #Protest #TamilNews #NewsTamil #NewsTamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/lFs3iCcd7z
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) July 21, 2025
On 16 June 2025, villagers from South Veerapandiapuram, Saminatham, and nearby communities gathered outside the Thoothukudi District Collector’s Office. Their demand was simple: reopen the Sterlite Copper plant and the associated thermal power station. Many of the protesters were former employees, who now struggle to survive as low-paid laborers. According to their statements, over 300 youth from these villages had worked at the plant, and the shutdown pushed them into economic instability.
Surprisingly, the call for reopening the facility has come not just from locals, but also from the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) a key ally of the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu. INTUC national secretary Kathirvelu openly questioned the inconsistency in allowing copper smelters to operate in other states while Sterlite remains shut. He pointed out that if pollution was the concern, it should be addressed with uniform regulations across India.
INTUC maintained that the economic cost of closure has been immense. Thousands of jobs were lost—not only within Sterlite itself but across hundreds of ancillary businesses that depended on the plant’s operations.
Wider Impact Across Industries
The plant’s closure didn’t just affect direct employees. On 6 January 2024, members of the Namakkal Lorry Owners’ and Trailer Owners’ Associations staged protests, claiming the shutdown paralyzed the logistics sector in the region. Over 6,500 trucks were impacted, and more than 600 vehicle owners had to seek alternative sources of income. Daily revenue losses were estimated at around ₹10 crore. Protesters proposed restarting the plant under strict environmental guidelines to balance development and sustainability.
In February 2025, the Thoothukudi Contractors’ Association joined the demand, highlighting job losses for 20,000 workers and severe financial strain on 400 SMEs, with income levels dropping by 40%. They have called for a Government Order to restart operations.
On 13 May 2025, representatives from the Thoothukudi People Livelihood Protection Association met with MP Kanimozhi, urging her to support efforts to revive the copper plant. Their appeal noted that the facility had supported 20,000+ families across 50 villages for over two decades. Around 64 contractors had invested in trucks and machinery solely to serve Sterlite’s logistics operations. When the plant was shut, many were left facing crippling debts, having mortgaged personal property to finance their businesses.
Association president S. Thiyagarajan criticized the misleading narrative that labeled Thoothukudi as the “cancer capital” due to the plant’s presence. He pointed to multiple independent environmental assessments that found no such link, yet the perception persisted, fueling protests and ultimately the closure.
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