The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Tamil Nadu Government to submit by August 5 its comments on the environment impact study by an institute on the Sterlite Industries' plant in Tamil Nadu.

The study on the compliance of environmental norms by Sterlite's plant at Tuticorin was done by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) following the apex court's directions in April.

The apex court has also asked the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to file by August 5 its suggestions/objections to the study. Sterlite can give its reply, if any, to the comments of the State Government and the TNPCB by August 10, when the matter will be heard again.

The apex court was hearing a petition filed by Sterlite. The petition was against a Madras High Court order last September directing the company to shut its Tuticorin copper smelter for violating pollution-control and environment regulations.

Sterlite claims that it had complied with the green norms and opposes charges on contamination.

In October last, the apex court had stayed the High Court order. NEERI, in its report, had said it has not found any marker pollutants such as zinc, arsenic and fluoride in concentrations exceeding the IS (Indian Standard) Drinking Water Standards (2005) in and around the Sterlite's plant in Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, Mr Vaiko, the MDMK leader and a party in this case, accused Sterlite of violating environmental norms and harming the area's ecology. The company opposed this saying Mr Vaiko was targeting it, adding that he had created problems for the NEERI team during its study of the area.

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