Sterlite protests: Section 144 lifted; normalcy restored, says administration

New Delhi: Section 144 has been lifted in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu where 13 people were killed during a violent protest against the construction of copper unit by the Sterlite mining industries.

Earlier, to ward off any further violence Section 144, which prohibits assembly of more than four people in an area, was imposed in the district.

On Saturday, Thoothukudi District Collector said that normalcy has been restored in the district and no act of violence has been reported from past 24 hours.

"Normalcy has been restored in the city and the district. We have not noticed any unusual incident in the city in last 24 hrs. However, we have come across some incidents in the rural areas and we are reviewing the situations," said Sandeep Nanduri.

The people in Thoothukudi are up in arms against the construction of a copper plant, claiming that it was polluting groundwater and hazardous for the environment.