SC to hear Vedanta’s appeal against Madras HC’s refusal to re-open Sterlite plant today

Chennai, Mar 15: The Supreme Court is set to hear an appeal filed by natural resources company Vedanta Ltd against the Madras High Court's refusal in August 2020 to re-open the Sterlite Copper smelting plant at Thoothukudi.

A three-member bench comprising Justice DY Chandrachud; Justice Surya Kant and Justice Vikram Nath will hear the case.

On August 18, the Madras high court has rejected the plea of the company seeking to reopen the copper plant. The plant has remained closed ever since the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) on April 9, 2018, rejected renewal of consent to operate the plant. This was because the state government ordered the plant to close after 13 people were shot dead by the police on May 22, during a protest against the plant.

The high court had upheld the orders of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), directing closure of the unit in May 2018.

Vedanta had approached the High Court in February 2019, seeking to reopen the Sterlite plant which was closed following a May 23, 2018 order issued by the TNPCB in the backdrop of violent protests against the unit which left 13 people dead in police firing on May 21 and 22, 2018.

It had filed the petition in the high court as suggested by the Supreme Court, which had on February 18, 2019 set aside the National Green Tribunal order that allowed opening of the Sterlite Plant.