The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the Tamil Nadu Government a week's time to submit its comments on the environment impact study by an institute on the Sterlite Industries' plant in Tamil Nadu.
The study on the compliance of environmental norms by Sterlite's plant at Tuticorin was done by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) following the apex court's directions in April.
The apex court was hearing a petition filed by Sterlite. The petition was against a Madras High Court order last September directing the company to shut its smelter for violating pollution-control and environment regulations.
Sterlite claims that it had complied with the green norms and opposes charges on contamination.
In October last year, the apex court had stayed the High Court order.
The apex court said on Wednesday that its stay on the High Court order will continue till August 25, when the matter will be heard again.
NEERI, in its report, had said it has not found any marker pollutants such as zinc, arsenic and fluoride in concentrations exceeding the IS (Indian Standard) Drinking Water Standards (2005) in and around Sterlite's plant in Tamil Nadu.