Sterlite Copper on Tuesday said it has filed an appeal before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi, challenging the orders passed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board directing the closure of its copper smelter unit at Thoothukudi in the State.
In a brief statement, the company said it had also sought the NGT’s permission to allow it to carry out “care and maintenance of the plant and other interim reliefs,” during the pendency of the appeal. It is learnt that in the petition, Vedanta Ltd, the parent company of Sterlite Copper, has sought a direction to restrain the Tamil Nadu government from preventing or interfering with the functioning and operations of the company in any manner. It prayed to declare as unlawful and illegal the exercise of powers by the State government in passing an order closing and sealing the copper smelter unit under the Water Act.