In relief, Sterlite Copper obtains stay on move to withdraw land for expansion
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has stayed a move by the Tamil Nadu industrial promotion corporation withdrawing land allotted to Anil Agarwal-owned Vedanta Ltd to expand its Sterlite Copper factory in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.
According to advocate Raguvaran Gopalan, Sterlite Copper has obtained a stay from judge V Parthiban of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on the withdrawal of land allotted to Sterlite Copper and that it has also obtained an injunction preventing the industries promotion board not to executive further orders against Sterlite Copper. "The matter has been posted again for late October," said Gopalan.
Among the many hurdles to reopening the four-lakh-a-tonne copper producer, the withdrawal of land earlier allotted for further expansion was one. The factory is also battling a case seeking to vacate a stay on the environmental clearance to set up the second phase of expansion.
However, a petition from Sterlite seeking to vacate a stay on the environmental clearance obtained by Anti-Sterlite campaigner Fatima Babu remains pending in court. The state pollution control board had also withdrawn the Consent to Establish allotted for the second expansion.
Sterlite Copper had faced stiff opposition to expanding capacity at the plant, which has been facing allegations of polluting air and ground water around its area of operation. Following the death of 13 people in a police firing to quell crowds in a massive agitation against the factory, the state government issued a Government Order shutting down the factory.
The National Green Tribunal had set up a 3-member committee to make findings about the effects of running the factory and decide on its reopening, which will be implemented by all executive bodies concerned such as the state pollution control board. According to people aware of the developments in its committee’s fact-finding endeavours, it received nearly 45,000 petitions seeking the reopening of the Sterlite factory.
According to advocate Raguvaran Gopalan, Sterlite Copper has obtained a stay from judge V Parthiban of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on the withdrawal of land allotted to Sterlite Copper and that it has also obtained an injunction preventing the industries promotion board not to executive further orders against Sterlite Copper. "The matter has been posted again for late October," said Gopalan.
Among the many hurdles to reopening the four-lakh-a-tonne copper producer, the withdrawal of land earlier allotted for further expansion was one. The factory is also battling a case seeking to vacate a stay on the environmental clearance to set up the second phase of expansion.
However, a petition from Sterlite seeking to vacate a stay on the environmental clearance obtained by Anti-Sterlite campaigner Fatima Babu remains pending in court. The state pollution control board had also withdrawn the Consent to Establish allotted for the second expansion.
Sterlite Copper had faced stiff opposition to expanding capacity at the plant, which has been facing allegations of polluting air and ground water around its area of operation. Following the death of 13 people in a police firing to quell crowds in a massive agitation against the factory, the state government issued a Government Order shutting down the factory.
The National Green Tribunal had set up a 3-member committee to make findings about the effects of running the factory and decide on its reopening, which will be implemented by all executive bodies concerned such as the state pollution control board. According to people aware of the developments in its committee’s fact-finding endeavours, it received nearly 45,000 petitions seeking the reopening of the Sterlite factory.
Are you a Business Owner? Get Your Free Business Listing on Economic Times.
Register Now