NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday turned down the interim plea filed by Vedanta to reopen its Sterlite Copper smelting plant at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu till the pendency of the case.
Vedanta had appealed against the Madras high court’s order not allowing the mining company to reopen the copper smelter in Thoothukudi, which is mired in controversy. The top court adjourned the case for detailed hearing to January.
Sterlite Copper smelter has been shut since May 2018 on orders of the Tamil Nadu government after mounting protests over the unit’s alleged environmental pollution boiled over into a confrontation between police and protesters. As many as 13 demonstrators died in police firing.
