CHENNAI: The Madras High Court wondered how an expert body, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), let in third parties to clear the contamination around the premises of the closed copper industry Sterlite, at Tirunelveli.

The first division bench comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice J Sathya Narayana Prasad, heard a petition seeking to remove the hazardous waste dumped outside the premises of the Sterlite plant.

It was submitted that the Supreme Court dismissed the special leave petition challenging the HC order to close the Sterlite plant. The State submitted that a private contractor is to be appointed to clear the contamination.

The bench intervened and wondered how a third party could be allowed to clear the contamination instead of TNPCB being the expert. The bench directed the State to categorize the level of contamination persisting around the Sterlite premises and to make out a remediation plan to clear the contamination expeditiously. Further, the bench directed the Central Pollution Control Board to implead the case and posted the matter to April 24 for further submission.

Petitioner Fatima moved the HC, seeking to clear the contamination around the copper plant.

It was contended that dumped hazardous waste poses a great environmental risk to the residents residing near the plant. The soil near the Sterlite plant is also contaminated, spreading contamination to other places, said the petitioner.