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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a response from the Tamil Nadu government and the State Pollution Control Board on a plea moved by Sterlite challenging the State government’s order to permanently close the Thoothukudi plant.
A bench headed by Acting NGT Chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim issued notices and sought the State to respond by July 18. The Tribunal has permitted the State government to file a statement questioning maintainability of Sterlite’s plea. Violent protests had erupted over massive pollution concerns caused by three copper smelting furnaces owned by Sterlite-Vedanta. A by-product of copper smelting is Uranium 238, which leaches into the land, water and suspended toxicity in the air is known to cause various types of cancer.
The State government had ordered the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to seal and “permanently” close the group’s copper plant.
The board had rejected Sterlite’s plea to renew the Consent To Operate. The State government had issued a permanent closure order on May 28. Sterlite challenged the order and sought direction from the NGT to declare the direction as “illegal” and “unlawful.”
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