Chennai, May 6 (IANS): The controversial Sterlite plant in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, which was closed down due to massive public protests, will start producing Oxygen in a week.

The Tuticorin district collector, K. Senthil Raj conducted an inspection of the plant along with six other members of the monitoring committee appointed by the Tamil Nadu government on the directive from the Supreme Court.

Senthil Raj while speaking to IANS said, "The Sterlite plant will be opened in a week's time for Oxygen production and the monitoring committee appointed by the Tamil Nadu government has conducted an inspection".

The Sterlite Oxygen plant has a daily Oxygen production capacity of 1,050 tonnes. The plant has been shut down since May 22, 2018 after the anti Sterlite protests turned violent and 14 people lost their lives in police firing.

South Indian movie star Vijay Sethupathi, former Judge of Madras High Court, Justice D. Hariparanthaman and former Vice Chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, V Vasanthi Devi met the Chief minister elect, M.K. Stalin on Wednesday and urged him not to reopen the Sterlite plant in Tuticorin.

Environmental activists across Tamil Nadu have been protesting against the Sterlite copper plant and several environmentalists have alleged that opening of the plant under the guise of Oxygen supply would lead to a backdoor entry for the Copper smelter plant.