The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday sought responses from Tamil Nadu government, the Tamil Nadu State Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd. (Tangedco) over Vedanta Ltd.’s plea challenging the State government’s order to permanently close the Sterlite Copper plant at Thoothukudi.
A Bench, headed by NGT acting chairperson Jawad Rahim, directed the respondents to file their responses by July 18.
Vedanta Ltd., the parent company of Sterlite Copper, had moved an application in the NGT challenging the TNPCB’s May 2018 order on the plant’s closure.
During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the State government opposed the plea arguing that the petition was not maintainable as the petitioners had approached other fora as well over the same matter.
Allowing the petition, the green Bench, said: “Procedurally there is a caveat and so we have to issue notice.”
“We permit them (State government) to file their statement questioning the maintainability (of the petition),” the Bench said.
Vedanta’s plea
Seeking interim relief to begin operations, the plea read, “Permit the appellant to operate the unit and plant pending consideration of the instant appeal (and) direct TNPCB to restore and provide minimum power supply, water and manpower access for safeguarding the emergency systems of the plant as it houses various chemicals and fuels. Due to the sudden closure of the plant, the same poses a threat to the surroundings, the plant and the machinery within the plant.”
The plea urged the NGT to direct the TNPCB to consider the company’s application for “renewal of consent.” Vedanta sought directions from the green panel to complete its maintenance activities on the premises and permission for the representatives to access the administrative building.
Alleging environmental damage due to the operations of the copper unit in May, major protests had taken place, which led to the pollution control board ordering closure of the unit.
