The Madras High Court has refused to order the reopening of the controversial Sterlite copper smelter plant at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu after dismissing a batch of petitions filed by Vedanta Limited, which owns the plant. The bench also refused to order status quo on the closure until Vedanta went on appeal to the Supreme Court. Although the Green Tribunal had favoured the reopening of the plant, the Supreme Court, on appeal, stayed it and asked Vedanta to approach the Madras High Court. Subsequently the case was posted before the two-member bench of the Madras High Court, which has heard it since March 2018. The company argued that the PCB had blindly and without independent application of mind passed the closure order.

Source: The Hindu August 18, 2020 14:15 UTC