TUTICORIN: The Supreme Court has dismissed the interim plea of mining major Vedanta Ltd seeking permission to inspect its Sterlite copper unit at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, which is closed since May 2018 over pollution concerns, and to operate it for four weeks to assess the pollution level.
Vedanta had sought handing over of the plant for three months saying it requires two months to start the unit and the company should be allowed to run it for four weeks to ascertain whether it is polluting or not.
The interim plea by Vedanta was opposed by the Tamil Nadu government which claimed before a bench headed by Justice R F Nariman, that the plant had been “polluting consistently”.
Senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for the mining major, told the apex court that it is a “case of mala fide closure of the plant” and Vedanta is producing 36% of copper demand of the country.
“Allow us to run (the plant) for four weeks and it can be proved whether we are polluting beyond the point,” Singhvi told the bench, also comprising Justices Navin Sinha and K M Joseph.
