Sterlite Copper, a Vedanta Group company, has received permission from Tamil Nadu government to conduct maintenance work at its plant in Thoothukudi.
“The District Administration has released orders to start some of the upkeep works in the Sterlite plant as per Supreme Court direction,” the company said in a statement on Friday.
The company intends to engage with local contractors and offer jobs to local people, it added.
Sterlite copper smelting plant in Thoothukudi was shut down in 2018 following a prolonged protest by the locals, who had alleged that the plant was causing pollution and posing a health hazard.
In April, the three-member Supreme Court Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud allowed Sterlite Copper to carry out the upkeep of the plant. The court considered the report of the High Powered Expert Committee and the recommendations of the State government.