Supreme Court rejects Vedanta’s plea to review Thoothukudi plant order

Supreme Court dismisses Vedanta Sterlite's review petition, upholding closure of Thoothukudi copper plant due to pollution concerns.

The Supreme Court has dismissed a review petition filed by Vedanta Sterlite to reconsider its February judgment refusing to direct the reopening of the company’s Thoothukudi copper plant.

The plant was closed six years ago on grounds of pollution. The apex court judgment had endorsed the public’s right to health over sheer industrial gains.

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“The application for listing the review petition in open court is rejected. Having perused the review petitions, there is no error apparent on the face of the record. No case for review has been established. The review petitions are, therefore, dismissed,” a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court recorded in a short order dated October 22 and published on Saturday.

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The review petition was dismissed by the Bench headed by then Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, who retired on November 10.

In February, the apex court had upheld a Madras High Court decision of August 2020, which had confirmed the decisions of the Tamil Nadu government and the State Pollution Control Board to permanently shut down the plant in 2018.