Supreme Court to hear plea against Sterlite plant restart on Monday

The Supreme Court on Friday fixed Monday for hearing the plea of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) against an order of the National Green Tribunal allowing Sterlite Industries Ltd to restart its copper smelting plant in Tuticorin district. A bench of judges Gyan Sudha Misra and Madan B Lokur, which was to hear the petition on Friday, deferred it to June 10. TNPCB has sought quashing of the tribunal's May 31 order allowing Sterlite, a UK-based Vedanta Group company, to restart its plant in the presence of a four-member committee set up by it for supervision.

Earlier, TNPCB had, on May 29, ordered closure of the Sterlite plant on complaints it was emitting toxic sulphur dioxide. The green panel then set aside the order of TNPCB and allowed Sterlite Industries Ltd to restart its copper smelting unit.

It had also ordered constitution of a four-member panel, comprising Member Secretary of Central Pollution Control Board, a member or engineer from TNPCB and two members of IIT-Madras to supervise the plant.

The tribunal had said the closure order was passed by TNPCB in an "abrupt manner" based on "mere apprehension" of leakage of gas, without any scientific data to support the same.

Besides seeking quashing of the NGT's order, TNPCB has challenged its jurisdiction to hear Sterlite 's plea. TNPCB had defended its order and maintained that the plant emits toxic gases and complaints against it were genuine.