Thread by @barandbench

#SupremeCourt hearing #Vedanta plea to reopen tuticorin Sterlite plant

Dr AM Singhvi for Vedanta- wastage of national resource can be stopped by allowing short 3 month run of the plant. I'm not arguing on merits
There is a preconceived decision to not allow the plant to run

Justice Nariman- you've had this plea for short runs for 2 years.

@DrAMSinghvi- the short run would allow us to identify any issues still remaining. The plant started in 1997. Provides direct employment to 4000 people, indirect employment to about 20,000.

Singhvi: Trickle down dependants are more than 2 lakh. Supplying 36% of the country's copper needs. Now India is becoming dependant on Copper imports.

NEERI had made environment impact report and gave 30 recommendations. Compliance of 29 out of 30

SC-- we don't have any such information. Where are you reading from?

Singhvi: I'm reading from the brief submissions filed by the petitioner Vedanta. It was circulated to all parties

Singhvi- closure of the the Sterlite plant has made India a net importer.

Pollution control board had made 30 recommendations. 2012 report shows compliance of 29 out of 30 recommendations.

Singhvi: Allegations of asphyxiation etc- district collector had given certificate thta emission was within limits and no one had asked for help.

In 2013 closure order. NGT allowed us to run after hearing plea against closure order.

Singhvi: 2016-- consent to operate given by pollution board. Also consent to expand the project and establish a new smelter was also given in November 2016

2018- after comprehensive inspection another approval for expansion given.

Singhvi: Additional scrutiny by PCB allows renewal of consent order

2018- street protests start. After protests start the pCb refuses my request for consent to operate.

Ground water analysis found nothing wrong.

Singhvi: Protests turned violent in May 2018- fresh order passed by PCB denying consent to operate and shutting down power supply.

None of these orders followed principle of natural Justice. We approached SC, which allows us to approach the High court.

Singhvi: HC went into hundreds of the intervention applications filed, instead of deciding on the five issues we had raised, it goes into various issued extending upto 2013.

The orders against us are malafide and motivated.

Singhvi: The order says we have done something wrong even though their own report said everything is Kosher. Four of the orders passed after the violence by protesters

SC: we are only on the narrow issue of whether you should be allowed to enter the premises and inspect the area.

@DrAMSinghvi : what's the public interest I am harming if I go and inspect? It takes 2 months to make the plant operational because it's been closed for a while.

Singhvi: Any issues are best judged by allowing the plant to run.
To reassure the court that I cannot harm public interest.

Tamil Nadu pollution control board tells SC that Vedanta is trying to mislead court. Industry has been polluting.

Order passed by TN govt was for Permanant closure of the Sterlite plant.

Conditions have worsened after court permitted them to start partial operations.

Tamil Nadu Govt: The reports of the PCB clearly show the plant has been consistently polluting. At this stage interim arrangement to reopen the plant cannot be given particularly since the HC had upheld the PCB order for closing the plant.

Govt: the order passed by the HC was to close down the plant. There was no permission given to run the plant.

#SupremeCourt denies interim relief to Vedanta's main petition, refuses immediate reopening of Sterlite plant. Court to hear Vedanta's plea to reopen Sterlite plant in detail in January
#Vedanta

[BREAKING] Supreme Court declines interim relief to Vedanta, refuses immediate reopening of Sterlite Plant at Thoothukudi

#Vedanta #Thoothukudi

@CMOTamilNadu

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