SC refuses to stay NGT order on Sterlite; CM says fight still on

CHENNAI : In a setback to the State government, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to stay the order of the National Green Tribunal allowing mining giant Vedanta Ltd. to reopen its Sterlite copper smelter in Thoothukudi. The NGT, in its December 15 judgement, directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to pass fresh orders within three weeks, renewing the Consent to Operate the plant. 

After hearing the State government’s appeal, a bench of Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman and Navin Sinha said the directions passed by the NGT “will continue to subsist and will be subject to the ultimate outcome of the appeal”. A notice was served to Vedanta, seeking response on the government’s appeal against the tribunal order.

The Supreme Court also imposed a stay on the impugned order passed by the Madurai bench of Madras High Court, which had said that status quo would continue till January 21 and ordered the State government to inform it by then as to whether it intended to file an appeal against the NGT verdict. 
‘Going back to TNPCB’.Speaking to Express, Sterlite CEO P Ramnath said that by virtue of the order, the State government should allow the reopening of the Sterlite plant. 

“The deadline set by NGT to renew the CTO ended on January 5. With Supreme Court lifting the status quo order, government is bound to renew the CTO. We will approach TNPCB immediately,” he said.

CM vows permanent closureMeanwhile, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami vowed to take appropriate legal steps to ensure “permanent closure” of the plant. Turning tables, he accused the DMK of being the “root cause for all the problems being faced currently.” It was, indeed, during the DMK regime that the plant was given permission to operate.Notwithstanding, DMK president MK Stalin raised the issue during the zero hour in the Assembly and later staged a walkout with his colleagues over the issue on Tuesday. P8