Nation shouldn’t lose this asset: SC pushes for expert panel on restarting Vedanta’s copper smelter facility in TN

The apex court suggested appointing a bipartisan expert committee to take care of concerns of the Tamil Nadu government and Vedanta group and explore the possibility of reopening the copper smelting plant in Thoothukudi, closed since 2018.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday suggested appointing a bipartisan expert committee to take care of concerns of the Tamil Nadu government and Vedanta group to explore the possibility of reopening its copper smelting plant in Thoothukudi, closed since 2018.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud proposed an expert committee can include NEERI, IIT, TNPCB, CPCB, and three environmental experts.

"State is for guardian for its residents, equally, we can't overlook the national interest," the bench said.

The Tamil Nadu government opposed the committee, stating that repeated violations by Vedanta do not warrant a relook at the closure of the plant.

After hearing senior advocate Shyam Divan for the Vedanta group, and senior advocate C S Vaidyanathan and Gopal Sankaranarayan for the Tamil Nadu government and others, the bench said, "We cannot lose sight of the overall national interest".

"If the committee comes to a conclusion that consent to operate should only be given subject to your company doing additional things, which means investment of more Rs 100 crore that is not our concern," the bench added.

The court said that there should not be a facility, which is lost to the nation and some sort of a middle ground can be reached.

"The committee can perhaps take its decision in one month or so," the bench said even as Divan said he is in broad agreement with the suggestion of the court.

In 2018, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) ordered the closure of the controversial Sterlite Plant after massive protests by locals, social and environmental activists who alleged that the facility was causing widespread and severe pollution, leading to the spread of serious diseases among locals.

The decision of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board was later upheld by the Madras High Court in August 2020.