Chennai, Aug 18 (IANS): With the Madras High Court dismissing Vedanta Ltd's plea to reopen its Sterlite Copper plant in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin, a top official of the copper smelter claimed that "certain forces" are bent at stopping the country's ability to be self-sufficient in the key metal.

"It is also disheartening to note that at a time when our nation is forced to depend on hostile neighbours for copper imports, certain forces are conspiring to stifle our nation's ability to be an independent copper manufacturer," Sterlite Copper CEO Pankaj Kumar was quoted as saying in a statement.

He, however, did not name the neighbouring countries from where India imports copper.

"At no point in our operations were any concerns about pollution raised by the appropriate authorities. We will, therefore, be pursuing all available legal remedies in the pursuit of justice over the coming days," he added.

The copper smelter plant was shut down by the Tamil Nadu government following a protest that led to the deaths of 13 people in police firing in May 2018. Ever since the copper smelter plant was permitted in Tuticorin several years back, people had been protesting against it alleging it was polluting the environment.

In 2019, Vedanta had approached the High Court and sought direction to the state government to allow the plant's reopening.