SC refuses early hearing on plea related to Vedanta's Sterlite copper unit

The top court, on December 2, last year had rejected the interim plea of Vedanta Ltd that it be permitted to inspect its Sterlite copper plant and to operate it for a month 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 its polluting or not. 

In a hearing conducted via video conferencing, a bench of Justices R F Nariman, Navin Sinha and K M Joseph did not agree to the plea of the company that the matter be accorded an early hearing. 

While holding that interim plea of Vedanta for opening of the plant for four weeks cannot be allowed, the bench had made clear that the final hearing in the matter can be heard after physical hearing starts in the apex court. 

Senior advocate A M Singhvi appeared for the company. 

Earlier, the interim plea by Vedanta was opposed by Tamil Nadu government which had claimed that the plant had been “polluting consistently”. 

In August last year, Vedanta had moved the apex court challenging the Madras High Court order refusing to allow reopening of the Tuticorin plant. 

The high court had upheld the orders of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) directing closure of the unit in May 2018. 

Vedanta had approached the high court in February 2019, seeking to reopen Sterlite plant which was closed following a May 23, 2018 order issued by the TNPCB in the backdrop of violent protests against the unit which left 13 people dead in police firing on May 21 and 22, 2018. 

It had filed the petition in the high court as suggested by the Supreme Court, which had on February 18, 2019 set aside the National Green Tribunal order that allowed opening of Sterlite plant.