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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday instructed Sterlite Industries to file a written objection, if it had any, against Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko.
Vaiko, along with Arjunan, District Secretary of the CPI(M), have impleaded themselves in the case, demanding that the NGT not allow the re-opening of Sterlite’s copper smelting plants in Thoothukudi.
In the packed court, Vaiko appeared for himself to argue against Sterlite. Sterlite’s counsel objected to making Vaiko an impleading party in the case. “Vaiko was part of a committee that had to assess the health impacts of the plant following a previous Supreme Court order. The committee has not even filed that report,” Sterlite’s counsel told the two-judge NGT Bench.
Instead of rejecting Vaiko’s right to be an impleading party, the Bench asked Sterlite to file a written objection.
Sterlite dragged the Tamil Nadu government to the Principal Bench of NGT after the State government ordered the closure of three copper smelter furnaces. This followed intense public demonstrations, and the gunning down of 13 civilians during a police action to quell a protest against the plant.
After the NGT hearing ended, Vaiko told the media: “Why should I not be an impleading party in the Sterlite case? I have been objecting to the plant since 1997.”
Earlier, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) was exclusively going to argue on grounds of maintainability of Sterlite’s plea with the NGT, considering that Sterlite’s appeal contesting the closure of its plant is already pending with the TNPCB and an appellate authority in the TNPCB is yet to hear the case.
“Sterlite cannot file for the same relief in two different forums,” R Rakesh Sharma, Standing Counsel for Tamil Nadu, told Businessline. “We will argue on non-maintainability of Sterlite’s case with the NGT during the next hearing.”
A Sterlite official, who did not wish to be named, said: “We have approached two forums, but the NGT is the bigger forum. We have appealed here for relief. Let’s see how it pans out.” The Bench has posted the next hearing for July 30.
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