Thaindian News

Chennai, Sep 29 (IANS) Sterlite Industries India Ltd has approached the Madras High Court, seeking three weeks’ time to close down its smelter plant at Tuticorin.

The high court had Tuesday, deciding on a batch of writ petitions filed against the sanction of environmental clearance for the smelter plant, ordered its immediate closure as it was polluting the environment.

Confirming that the company has submitted an application in court seeking three weeks’ time to close the 400,000 tonne per annum (tpa) smelter plant, Iyer Sundar Raj, head, public relations of the firm, told IANS: “There is a batch of impure copper that has to be refined. The process takes around 21 days. Hence, we have applied to the Madras High Court to keep the closure order in abeyance for three weeks.”

He said that the smelter plant was operated Wednesday.

“We are waiting for the copy of the judgment. As and when we receive it we are committed to comply with the order,” he said.

Asked if the company would close down the entire production facilities at Tuticorin complex or just shut down the smelter plant and operate other facilities, Raj said: “The judgment copy is yet to be received. A decision will be taken on reading the order.”

G. Ramapriya, counsel for the National Trust for Clean Environment (NTCE), told IANS: “Normally the appeal against the decision lies in the Supreme Court. The company is submitting an application to keep the closure order in abeyance for three weeks.”