CHENNAI: The I The Madras high court on Tuesday refused to allow the reopening of the controversial Sterlite Copper that had witnessed a widespread protest in Tamil Nadu in 2018 which claimed 13 lives. Observing that “protection of environment would take precedence over economic”, the high court said the plant cannot be allowed to function which has been shut from 2018.
The bench comprising Justice Sivagnanam and Bhavani Subbaroyan in their 815-page order has stated that the Sterlite administration has misrepresented and suppressed the facts by stating that they have functioned with all necessary permission from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control board (TNPCB) and didn’t adhere to the condition set by the TNPCB for renewal. The bench further observed that the company should be held liable and pay the compensation of Rs 100 crore for causing damage to the environment around the plant. To the argument of the petitioner that the decision regarding the closure of the plant was a political consideration, the bench questioned the approval granted by the state government for establishing a hazardous industry in 14 days at Thoothukudi when they were unable to do so in two other states in India. Reacting to the verdict, Pankaj Kumar, CEO of Sterlite Copper has expressed disappointment and has said the company will pursue all available legal remedies in the coming days.
Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu have welcomed the verdict and the DMK has reiterated that the state government should immediately announce the closure of the Sterlite Copper as a policy decision to avoid any further legal engagements.