Supreme Court dismisses Vedanta plea on copper plant closure in Thoothukudi

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a Vedanta group 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 of India 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.

A bench of CJI Chandrachud and justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra had said keeping the plant shut would not serve any purpose but at the same time, the court has to be mindful of public health and welfare.

"They are voiceless people. They all cannot come here. We cannot be oblivious to the wider concerns of the community," CJI Chandrachud had said. "We may not be able to direct that you start operating today, but we can ensure that terms are put to you by an expert panel so that a red category industry can start on deposit of a certain amount and on satisfying environmental safeguards."

"… 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 Pardiwala and Misra, said.

The Madras High Court had in August 2020 rejected Vedanta's plea to allow the reopening of its Sterlite Copper unit.