Tamil Nadu will ask the environment court to dismiss Vedanta Ltd's petition seeking to reopen its copper smelter, a lawyer representing the state government said on Wednesday.
The Tamil Nadu government ordered the permanent closure of the plant and disconnected its power supply in May following protests that turned violent and culminated in the police opening fire on protesters, killing 13 of them.
The protesters had demanded a permanent shutdown of the plant, which they said was causing air and water pollution. Vedanta says the protests were based on false notions.