Madras HC issues notice to Vedanta's Sterlite on plea for Rs 7.5 bn relief

Petitioner sought a court direction to the company to pay Rs 6.2 billion for rehabilitation of people in and around its plant in Tuticorin

The Madras High Court on Monday issued a notice to the Vedanta group's Sterlite copper plant on a petition seeking Rs 7.5 billion towards the rehabilitation of people affected by pollution allegedly caused by it and relief for victims of the police firing during a protest in May.

Petitioner Vijaya Nivas sought a court direction to the company to pay Rs 6.2 billion for rehabilitation of people in and around its plant in Tuticorin, apart from a compensation of Rs100 million each for the 13 people killed in police firing during the anti-Sterlite agitation on May 22 and 23.

When the matter came up for hearing, Justices M M Sundaresh and Satheesh Kumar issued notices to Sterlite Copper chairman Anil Agarwal and the central and state governments. The petitioner said the environment within an area of 25 square km around Tuticorin had suffered because of the pollution, which had also affected the groundwater.

Hence, the company should pay Rs 6.2 billion to rehabilitate the affected people, Nivas submitted. Thirteen people were killed in police firing on May 22 and 23 when violence broke out during the protest by locals demanding the closure of the plant.

The state government subsequently issued an order for "permanent closure" of the Sterlite copper smelter, following which the company moved National Green Tribunal to challenge it.