Supreme Court dismisses Vedanta’s plea against closure of copper smelting plant in Thoothukudi

New Delhi, February 29

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a Vedanta group’s plea against the closure of its copper smelting plant in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi.

The plant has been closed since May 2018 after 13 people were killed as police opened fire to quell a protest over alleged pollution caused by it.

A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said the health and welfare of residents of the area is a matter of “utmost concern” and the state government is responsible for preserving and protecting their concerns.

“… we have come to the conclusion that the Special Leave Petition (SLP) by the industrial unit shall not warrant interference under Article 136 of the Constitution. For the above reasons, the SLP shall stands dismissed,” the bench, also comprising justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said.

The Madras High Court had in August 2020 rejected Vedanta’s plea for allowing reopening of its Sterlite Copper unit.