SC refuses to allow reopening of Sterlite plant in Tamil Nadu

A BENCH HEADED BY JUSTICE ROHINTON FALI NARIMAN SET ASIDE NGT’S ORDER SAYING, VEDANTA LTD’S PLEA BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL WAS NOT MAINTAINABLE

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday r e f u s e d to allow reopening of Vedanta’s Sterlite plant in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin, which was at the centre of massive protests over pollution concerns, but granted the company liberty to approach the high court.

A bench headed by Justice R F Nariman a l l o wed Tamil Nadu’s appeal against t he National Green Tribunal (NGT) order only on grounds of maintainability and said the tribunal has no jurisdiction to order reopening of the plant.

The court was hearing a plea by Vedanta group seeking a direction to Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to i mplement t he NGT or der which had set aside the government’s decision to close the plant.

On January 8, the apex court had paved the way to re-open the plant by refusing to stay the tribunal’s order.

It had also stayed the last year’s December 21 decision of t h e Madurai b e n c h o f t h e Madras high court which had ordered status quo with respect to re-opening the plant.

The state had moved the top court, saying t he National Green Tribunal had “erroneously” set aside various orders passed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in 2018 with regard to the Sterlite plant in the state’s city of Tuticorin.