NGT sets aside Tamil Nadu govt's order on closure of Vedanta's Sterlite plant in Tuticorin

The National Green Tribunal on Saturday set aside the Tamil Nadu government's order closing down the Sterlite copper plant in Tuticorin where a massive protest was witnessed in May against alleged pollution by the factory.

The NGT directed the  Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to pass fresh order of renewal of consent for the Sterlite plant saying that the closure order of the plant was “unjustifiable”.

The green court also directed Vedanta Ltd, the parent company of the Sterlite, to spend Rs. 100 crore over 3 years for “welfare activities” in the region. 

At least 13 people were killed and several injured on May 22 when police had opened fire on a crowd staging protest in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu.

The state government had, on May 28, ordered the state pollution control board to seal and "permanently" close the mining group's copper plant following violent protests over pollution concerns.

The NGT had on Monday reserved its order on the plea by Vedanta Ltd challenging closure of its Sterlite copper plant in Tamil Nadu.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel said the order would be uploaded on the tribunal's website next week.

The company had earlier offered before the tribunal that it would invest Rs 100 crore in Tuticorin for the welfare of people, including construction of schools, hospitals and supply of drinking water.

It had said this amount would be in addition to the Rs 10 crore spent by the company annually in social work under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The tribunal had earlier set up an independent committee to look into the allegations of environmental pollution by Vedanta-owned Sterlite copper factory.

The committee, headed by former Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice Tarun Agrawal, had said that no notice or opportunity of hearing was given to Vedanta before the closure of the plant.

On July 30, the court had refused to grant any interim relief to Vedanta, which had challenged the Tamil Nadu government's order to permanently shut down its plant, even as the firm termed the government action "political".

On July 5, the tribunal had issued notices to the state government and the pollution board seeking their response after Tamil Nadu raised preliminary objections with regard to the maintainability of Vedanta's plea.

On August 9, the tribunal had allowed Vedanta to enter administrative unit inside its plant at Tuticorin, observing that no environmental damage would be caused by allowing access to the section.

(With PTI inputs)