Terming the state government's decision to shut down Vedanta group's Sterlite Copper plant at Thoothukudi as "non-sustainable and unjustifiable", the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Saturday set aside the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board's order to close the said copper unit and directed it to pass a fresh order of renewal of consent.
The renewal of consent by the pollution control board is an authorisation for the company to handle hazardous substances.
The order by the NGT comes after a three-member committee constituted by it to look into the allegations of environmental pollution by the mining giant said that no notice or opportunity of hearing was given to Vedanta before the closure of the plant.
The committee, headed by former Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice Tarun Agrawal, also said that the grounds on which the pollution control board of the state ordered the closure of the Sterlite copper plant are not so grievous in nature that they justify permanent closure of the unit.
ALSO READ: TN will challenge NGT order for reopening Sterlite plant in SC: Palaniswami
Sterlite copper plant will also be entitled to restoration of electricity for its operations, a six-member Bench led by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said. The green tribunal has also directed Vedanta to spend Rs 1 billion within a period of three years on projects like water supply, hospital and health services and skill development in the area.
Sterlite's copper unit had remained closed since March 27 after the state's pollution control board refused to give it a consent to operate permission.
The state government had decided to shut the unit for good following the death of 13 people during a police firing on May 22. The 13 people were part of a crowd that was protesting the expansion of the plant.
Tamil Nadu had refused to grant the said consent to operate and ordered the closure of the unit stating that the company had not followed certain environmental norms. In its allegations, it had said that Sterlite had not furnished groundwater analysis report, neither removed copper slag stored around the Uppar river, and had not analysed parameters of heavy metals in the ambient air quality around the unit.
ALSO READ: SC refuses to stay CBI probe against cops firing during Sterlite protests
The NGT, however, rejected all these grounds.
During arguments at the NGT, Vedanta had submitted that it had been suffering a daily loss of Rs 50 million due to the closure of the copper unit.
Vedanta's arm Sterlite has invested around Rs 30 billion for establishing the plant and caters to 35-40 per cent of copper demand in India. Prices of copper in the country had risen by around 20 per cent following the closure of the copper plant, the company had said in its submissions before the NGT.
ALSO READ: Breather for Vedanta: NGT panel says Sterlite plant closure not justified
Following the order, Sterlite said it would study the order in detail and take all steps required to restart operations as per guidelines given by the NGT.
The Tamil Nadu government, on the other hand, said it would challenge the NGT order in the Supreme Court.
The renewal of consent by the pollution control board is an authorisation for the company to handle hazardous substances.
The order by the NGT comes after a three-member committee constituted by it to look into the allegations of environmental pollution by the mining giant said that no notice or opportunity of hearing was given to Vedanta before the closure of the plant.
The committee, headed by former Meghalaya High Court Chief Justice Tarun Agrawal, also said that the grounds on which the pollution control board of the state ordered the closure of the Sterlite copper plant are not so grievous in nature that they justify permanent closure of the unit.
ALSO READ: TN will challenge NGT order for reopening Sterlite plant in SC: Palaniswami
Sterlite copper plant will also be entitled to restoration of electricity for its operations, a six-member Bench led by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said. The green tribunal has also directed Vedanta to spend Rs 1 billion within a period of three years on projects like water supply, hospital and health services and skill development in the area.
Sterlite's copper unit had remained closed since March 27 after the state's pollution control board refused to give it a consent to operate permission.
The state government had decided to shut the unit for good following the death of 13 people during a police firing on May 22. The 13 people were part of a crowd that was protesting the expansion of the plant.
Tamil Nadu had refused to grant the said consent to operate and ordered the closure of the unit stating that the company had not followed certain environmental norms. In its allegations, it had said that Sterlite had not furnished groundwater analysis report, neither removed copper slag stored around the Uppar river, and had not analysed parameters of heavy metals in the ambient air quality around the unit.
ALSO READ: SC refuses to stay CBI probe against cops firing during Sterlite protests
The NGT, however, rejected all these grounds.
During arguments at the NGT, Vedanta had submitted that it had been suffering a daily loss of Rs 50 million due to the closure of the copper unit.
Vedanta's arm Sterlite has invested around Rs 30 billion for establishing the plant and caters to 35-40 per cent of copper demand in India. Prices of copper in the country had risen by around 20 per cent following the closure of the copper plant, the company had said in its submissions before the NGT.
ALSO READ: Breather for Vedanta: NGT panel says Sterlite plant closure not justified
Following the order, Sterlite said it would study the order in detail and take all steps required to restart operations as per guidelines given by the NGT.
The Tamil Nadu government, on the other hand, said it would challenge the NGT order in the Supreme Court.
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