New Delhi, February 18: The Supreme Court on Monday set aside the National Green Tribunal’s order on the reopening of Vedanta's Sterlite plant in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, however, granted it the liberty to approach the Madras High Court. The apex bench in its order also directed the state government led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami to make the appeal in the bench of High Court in Tamil Nadu.

Hearing the petition of Tamil Nadu government, the Supreme Court – headed by a bench of Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman – observed that NGT’s order on the grounds that the plea of Vedanta before the tribunal was non-maintainable. It said that the apex court doesn’t have the jurisdiction to entertain Vedanta’s appeal against the Tamil Nadu government to close down the Sterlite Copper plant at Thoothukudi. Sterlite Plant in Tuticorin to Reopen as Supreme Court Refuses to Stay NGT Order. 

Earlier, the NGT in its December 15, 2018 order has allowed the Vedanta group to reopen the Sterlite plant in Tamil Nadu, which was challenged by the state government in Supreme Court. According to the details, the Tamil Nadu government in its appeal in the apex court had stated the NGT’s order on Vedanta is ‘erroneous’ and shouldn’t be entertained.

In the appeal, the Tamil Nadu government had also stated that NGT failed to consider the data, documents and evidence furnished by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. Also, it had alleged that Vedanta had irreversibly polluted the groundwater in and around Thoothukudi district.

It is to be known that the Tamil Nadu government had closed Vedanta’s Copper plant six days after 13 people were killed in police firing against people who were protesting against the plant on the grounds that it polluted the environment. The Vedanta has approached the NGT and challenged the government’s order, which allowed the reopening the plant in Thoothukudi.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 18, 2019 03:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).