Populism over environment

Closure of the Sterlite plant did not follow due process

The government of Tamil Nadu has ordered Vedanta Limited, the operator of the Sterlite copper smelter near Thoothukudi, to shut down the plant following lengthy protests by local people that eventually turned violent. The plant, which has been in operation since the mid-1990s, has long been a focus of popular protest. It has had mixed fortunes over the two decades of its operation, including periods when it was under administrative orders of closure, a Rs 1 billion fine imposed for pollution by the Supreme Court in 2013, and consistent opposition from fishermen. These protests were re-energised following an apparent gas