CHENNAI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has reserved its verdict in the case relating to
closure of Sterlite’s copper plant in Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu, to December 17. The Tribunal held its final hearing in the case against Vedanta Private Limited’s Sterlite Copper on Monday.
An independent expert committee that was set up by the Tribunal to probe into the closure order issued by the State to the company, submitted its report last month, which recommended reopening of the plant.
The Tribunal on Monday, denied a hearing or access to the committee’s report to the two interveners, representing the people of Thoothukudi, in the case.
The activists said refusal of a hearing was violation of principles of natural justice since the affected parties — the representatives of people of Thoothukudi, were denied an opportunity to be heard.
The committee, headed by former Meghalaya Chief Justice Tarun Agarwal, had observed that the closure of the copper plant was against principles of natural justice. However, the report also detailed how the Sterlite plant had flouted norms over the years and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), allowed it to have free run before things turned ugly with a massive number of locals taking to the streets over pollution caused by the plant, and the subsequent killing of 13 protesters in police firing.
Only after the bloody protests, the State government issued the closure order on May 28, 2018, citing interest of public of Thoothukudi.