Vedanta receives ‘Green’ light to reopen Sterlite Copper unit

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson AK Goel asked the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to pass a fresh order of renewal of consent and authorisation to handle hazardous substances, subject to appropriate conditions for protection of environment in accordance with law within three weeks from Saturday.

The tribunal, which had reserved its verdict on December 10, allowed the appeal of the company challenging closure of its plant in Tamil Nadu. The green panel said the company should spend within three years Rs 100 crore on welfare of inhabitants of the area as it had offered to do. The bench also suggested that the company take steps for safeguarding environment, like creating a dedicated website where the stakeholders can lodge their environment related grievances.

“Since we have independently held the impugned orders to be non-sustainable and closure to be unjustifiable, only further question for consideration is whether suggestions of the Committee... should be accepted and, if so, to what extent,” the bench said. It said the company will also be entitled to restoration of electricity for its operations, subject to complying with various directions issued by the tribunal for the firm. The tribunal had earlier set up an independent committee to look into the allegations of environmental pollution by Vedanta-owned Sterlite copper factory. The committee, headed by former Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice Tarun Agrawal, had said that no notice or opportunity of hearing was given to Vedanta before the closure of the plant.  ( More on P6 )

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturdaysaid it would challenge in Supreme Court the NGT order setting aside the closure of the Vedanta Ltd’s Sterlite Copper plant on pollution grounds in the wake of protests by locals.

The Opposition parties hit out at the State government, holding it responsible for the development with the DMK alleging that the ‘negligent’ attitude of the Palaniswami government resulted in the ‘embarrassment’.

In a terse reaction to the NGT verdict, Palaniswami told reporters in Salem that “the Tamil Nadu government will appeal against this order in the Supreme Court”.

Attacking the government, DMK President MK Stalin said it should not stop with merely saying it would appeal and take concrete action to permanently close the unit. 

The State cabinet should take a policy decision to ensure the permanent closure after gathering evidence of environmental threats and conducting scientific surveys to show continued operation of the copper unit would result in irreversible pollution, he said.