"SC junks Vedanta's plea to reopen Sterlite Copper's Thoothukudi plant", 29 February 2024

The top court upheld the decisions of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the Madras high court's 2020 ruling to close the plant due to violations of environmental norms.

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In a significant setback for mining giant Vedanta, the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the company's plea to reopen its Sterlite Copper smelter plant in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi.

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The plant was shut down following violent protests in 2018 that left 13 people dead.

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A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud noted that while closing the industry is not the first course of action, the persistent breaches and severity of violations left authorities with no alternative but to shut the plant.

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The court noted various environmental violations, including the failure to remove copper slag dumped in 11 sites, mishandling of gypsum, and lack of authorization for hazardous waste disposal that led to the unit's closure.

According to the court, Vedanta was given opportunities for compliance but it failed to act upon previous warnings. The court initially proposed the formation of an expert committee to examine the future of the plant but the Tamil Nadu government questioned the need for such a panel given the exhaustive findings of the Madras high court.