The Supreme Court has rejected a review petition filed by the Vedanta Group against the closure of its Sterlite Copper plant in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi.
The state government closed the plant after thirteen protestors were killed in a police firing on May 22, 2018, causing national outrage. The demonstrators had alleged that the plant contaminated the region’s air and water resources.
Sterlite Copper owned the copper smelter. It was a subsidiary of the Vedanta Group, one of the world’s largest mining and metals conglomerates.
On February 29, the top court dismissed a petition filed by the Vedanta Group seeking the reopening of the plant. The court highlighted the importance of the health and welfare of the residents of the region, PTI reported. Subsequently, the group filed a review petition against the decision.
On October 22, a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra dismissed the review petition. The order was published on Saturday.
“The application for listing the review petition in open court is rejected,” the order said. “Having perused the review petitions, there is no error apparent on the face of the record. No case for review has been established. The review petitions are, therefore, dismissed.”
In its February order, the top court upheld a decision by the Madras High Court from August 2020, The Hindu reported. The High Court had reaffirmed the action taken by the Tamil Nadu government and the State Pollution Control Board to permanently shut down the plant in 2018.
“We are conscious of the fact that the unit has contributed to the productive assets of the nation and providing employment and revenue in the area,” the top court had said, according to The Hindu.
However, equally relevant were the principles of sustainable development, public trust, and finally, that a polluter should pay, it added.
“The health and welfare of the residents of the area is a matter of utmost concern,” the bench had said. “In the ultimate analysis, the state government is responsible for preserving and protecting their concerns.”
Prior to the closure of the plant, the residents of the region had been protesting the damage caused by it for nearly 30 years.
Also read: Thoothukudi massacre is a tragic reminder that India is in the grip of a state-corporate nexus
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