HC junks Vedanta’s plea to reopen plant

CHENNAI: The Madras high court on Tuesday rejected a plea from mining giant Vedanta for allowing reopening of its Sterlite copper unit at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, which has been closed since May 2018 over pollution concerns.

The company described the verdict as “temporary setback” and said it would look into all legal options available to it while political leaders and others welcomed the judgement.

A division bench of Justices TS Sivagnanam and V Bhavani Subbaroyan upheld the orders of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) directing the closure of the unit in May 2018. It had on January 9 this year reserved orders on the matter.

The court, in its over 800-page judgment, dismissed a batch of writ petitions from Vedanta and others challenging the closure of the unit, which was at the Centre of massive violent protests over pollution concerns. 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 left 13 people dead in police firing on May 21 and 22.

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.

Several people hailed the high court judgment in Tuticorin in southern Tamil Nadu by distributing sweets and bursting fire crackers. Deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam welcomed the ruling, saying it reflected the thoughts of crores of people. DMK President M K Stalin said he bowed before the court for its judgment. He urged the government to pass a Cabinet resolution welcoming the judgment and file a caveat petition in the Supreme Court in case Vedanta files an appeal.

Sterlite CEO Pankaj Kumar told reporters in Tuticorin, “We will look at all legal options available to us.” Associate Vice President D Dhanavel said the judgment was “disappointing” and a “temporary setback.” To a question, Kumar said: “There may be a possibility of lay-off,” adding the plant has been shut for over two years.