The top court had earlier this month refused to stay the green tribunal’s order of setting aside the state government’s decision to close Vedanta’s Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin.
Vedanta’s copper smelter plant (Photo: File)
The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Tamil Nadu government to immediately provide power supply to the Sterlite plant in Tuticorin.
The top court had earlier this month refused to stay the green tribunal’s order of setting aside the state government’s decision to close Vedanta’s Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had on December 15 set aside Tamil Nadu government’s closure order on the Sterlite copper plant terming it as “unjustifiable”. It also directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to pass a fresh order of renewal of consent.
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The green court also directed Vedanta Ltd to spend Rs 100 crore over three years for “welfare activities” of the inhabitants in the area.
The order was passed by the tribunal after a three-member panel was constituted by the NGT to look into the allegations of environmental pollution against the mining giant.
The Tamil Nadu government had in May last year, ordered the state pollution control board to seal and “permanently” close the mining group’s copper plant following violent protests over pollution concerns.
Sterlite’s factory had made headlines in March 2013 when a gas leak led to the death of one person and injuries to several others, after which the then chief minister J Jayalalithaa had ordered its closure.
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