Madras HC refuses to allow reopening of Sterlite plant in TN's Thoothukudi

Vedanta Limited had moved the court challenging the state government's closure order against its Sterlite Copper Plant on May 28, 2018

The Madras High Court (HC) on Tuesday refused to allow the reopening of Vedanta-owned Sterlite Copper’s smelting plant in Thoothukudi. 

The court dismissed all 10 petitions filed by Vedanta. One plea challenged the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board’s (TNPCB) April 9, 2018 order rejecting the renewal of consent to operate the plant. The government’s decision to close the plant was also challenged. 

The state government’s decision came after 13 people were shot dead by the police on May 22, 2018 during a protest. While the company said it was a knee-jerk reaction by the local administration, the state government alleged that the