<p>Ever since Sterlite Copper began its operations in 1996, it has been at the centre of a raging row with villagers around its sprawling factory alleging gas leaks and bad effluent management.</p>.<p>In a major blow to Sterlite Copper, the Madras High Court on Tuesday refused to allow opening of the Vedanta-owned copper smelter in the southern port city of Thoothukudi. </p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/sterlite-copper-plant-in-thoothukudi-to-remain-shut-madras-hc-dismisses-vedanta-s-plea-to-reopen-the-plant-874645.html" target="_blank"><strong>Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi to remain shut; Madras HC dismisses Vedanta’s plea to reopen the plant</strong></a><br /><br /><strong>Here is a chronology of events:</strong></p>.<p>1994: Sterlite Copper, a unit of Vedanta Limited, enters Tamil Nadu after the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board gives No Objection Certificate (NOC).</p>.<p>1995: TNPCB allows Sterlite Copper to begin construction of the smelting plant, ignoring protests by locals who opposed setting up of the industry citing environmental concerns.</p>.<p>1996: Though the National Trust for Clean Environment approaches the Madras High Court to challenge the environmental clearances, the Government issues licence to Sterlite Industries to operate the unit.</p>.<p>1997: Villagers near the Sterlite Copper smeltering unit fall sick and allege that their illness was due to pollution generated from the plant.</p>.<p>1998: National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in its report comes down heavily on Sterlite for building the plant within 14 km of the Gulf of Mannar, flouting government's rule that the location should not be within 25 kms of the ecologically sensitive area.</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/sunday-spotlight/thoothukudi-tns-bhopal-673069.html" target="_blank">Thoothukudi: TN's Bhopal?</a></strong></p>.<p>1999: Locals allege gas leak from Sterlite Copper plant. Many people get hospitalised.</p>.<p>2001: Residents complain of toxic waste water reportedly flooding into the Silverpuram, Milavittan and Kaluthaikuttan tanks.</p>.<p>September 2010: Madras High Court orders shutting down of Sterlite for violations of the law and heavy pollution.</p>.<p>September 2010: Sterlite Copper gets a stay from Supreme Court on the Madras High Court order shutting down the plant. The apex court allows the plant to continue.</p>.<p>March 2013: The Tamil Nadu government shuts Sterlite Copper after a gas leak was reported from the plant</p>.<p>April 2013: Supreme Court fines Sterlite Copper Rs 100 crore for flouting environmental norms, but refuses to shut down the firm.</p>.<p>June 2013: Sterlite Copper reopens after being shut for almost three months.</p>.<p>February 2018: Villagers of A Kumarareddiapuram resume their agitation against Sterlite's expansion plans. Sterlite Copper planned to open a second plant at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore to double its capacity to 800,000 tonnes per annum.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/rajini-blames-anti-social-elements-violent-turn-thoothukudi-protests-672425.html" target="_blank">Rajini blames 'anti-social elements' for violence in Thoothukudi</a></strong></p>.<p>March 24, 2018: Thousands of people in Thoothukudi hold a silent march in solidarity with the villagers in their protest against Sterlite. The people march for a couple of kilometres by flashing the lights on their mobile phones.</p>.<p>March 27, 2018: Sterlite Copper shuts the plant temporarily for annual maintenance work.</p>.<p>April 9, 2018: TNPCB refuses to renew Consent to Operate (CoT) to Sterlite Copper for flouting environmental norms.</p>.<p>April 10, 2018: Sterlite Copper informs the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India Limited that its application has been rejected for want of more clarifications.</p>.<p>May 22, 2018: More than 20,000 people march from Our Lady of Snows Shrine Basilica (Pani Maya Madha Kovil in Tamil) to the District Collectorate demanding closure of the plant. The protests turn violent, resulting in the killing of 12 people due to police firing.</p>.<p>May 23, 2018: One more person killed in fresh violence erupted in Thoothukudi.</p>.<p>May 24, 2018: TNPCB suspends electricity and water supply to Sterlite Copper.</p>.<p>May 24, 2018: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announces that the government was moving towards shutting down the plant.</p>.<p>May 28, 2018: The Tamil Nadu government orders permanent closure of the plant; Collector Sandeep Nanduri seals the plant in Thoothukudi.</p>.<p>July 3, 2018: Sterlite Copper moves National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to close down the plant.</p>.<p>December 15, 2018: NGT orders reopening of Sterlite Copper plant.</p>.<p>January 2, 2019: The Tamil Nadu government moves Supreme Court against NGT order to reopen the Sterlite copper plant.</p>.<p>February 18, 2019: The Supreme Court sets aside NGT order allowing reopening of the Sterlite Copper plant; allows the Vedanta-owned group to approach the Madras High Court.</p>.<p>February 27, 2019: Sterlite Copper moves the Madras High Court seeking reopening of the plant.</p>.<p>June 27, 2019: Madras High Court bench of Justices T S Sivagnanam and Bhavani Subbaroyan begins hearing the case.</p>.<p>January 8, 2020: Madras High Court reserves its verdict in the case.</p>.<p>August 18, 2020: Madras High Court dismisses Vedanta’s plea to reopen Sterlite Copper plant.</p>
<p>Ever since Sterlite Copper began its operations in 1996, it has been at the centre of a raging row with villagers around its sprawling factory alleging gas leaks and bad effluent management.</p>.<p>In a major blow to Sterlite Copper, the Madras High Court on Tuesday refused to allow opening of the Vedanta-owned copper smelter in the southern port city of Thoothukudi. </p>.<p><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/sterlite-copper-plant-in-thoothukudi-to-remain-shut-madras-hc-dismisses-vedanta-s-plea-to-reopen-the-plant-874645.html" target="_blank"><strong>Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi to remain shut; Madras HC dismisses Vedanta’s plea to reopen the plant</strong></a><br /><br /><strong>Here is a chronology of events:</strong></p>.<p>1994: Sterlite Copper, a unit of Vedanta Limited, enters Tamil Nadu after the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board gives No Objection Certificate (NOC).</p>.<p>1995: TNPCB allows Sterlite Copper to begin construction of the smelting plant, ignoring protests by locals who opposed setting up of the industry citing environmental concerns.</p>.<p>1996: Though the National Trust for Clean Environment approaches the Madras High Court to challenge the environmental clearances, the Government issues licence to Sterlite Industries to operate the unit.</p>.<p>1997: Villagers near the Sterlite Copper smeltering unit fall sick and allege that their illness was due to pollution generated from the plant.</p>.<p>1998: National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in its report comes down heavily on Sterlite for building the plant within 14 km of the Gulf of Mannar, flouting government's rule that the location should not be within 25 kms of the ecologically sensitive area.</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/sunday-spotlight/thoothukudi-tns-bhopal-673069.html" target="_blank">Thoothukudi: TN's Bhopal?</a></strong></p>.<p>1999: Locals allege gas leak from Sterlite Copper plant. Many people get hospitalised.</p>.<p>2001: Residents complain of toxic waste water reportedly flooding into the Silverpuram, Milavittan and Kaluthaikuttan tanks.</p>.<p>September 2010: Madras High Court orders shutting down of Sterlite for violations of the law and heavy pollution.</p>.<p>September 2010: Sterlite Copper gets a stay from Supreme Court on the Madras High Court order shutting down the plant. The apex court allows the plant to continue.</p>.<p>March 2013: The Tamil Nadu government shuts Sterlite Copper after a gas leak was reported from the plant</p>.<p>April 2013: Supreme Court fines Sterlite Copper Rs 100 crore for flouting environmental norms, but refuses to shut down the firm.</p>.<p>June 2013: Sterlite Copper reopens after being shut for almost three months.</p>.<p>February 2018: Villagers of A Kumarareddiapuram resume their agitation against Sterlite's expansion plans. Sterlite Copper planned to open a second plant at a cost of Rs 2,500 crore to double its capacity to 800,000 tonnes per annum.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/rajini-blames-anti-social-elements-violent-turn-thoothukudi-protests-672425.html" target="_blank">Rajini blames 'anti-social elements' for violence in Thoothukudi</a></strong></p>.<p>March 24, 2018: Thousands of people in Thoothukudi hold a silent march in solidarity with the villagers in their protest against Sterlite. The people march for a couple of kilometres by flashing the lights on their mobile phones.</p>.<p>March 27, 2018: Sterlite Copper shuts the plant temporarily for annual maintenance work.</p>.<p>April 9, 2018: TNPCB refuses to renew Consent to Operate (CoT) to Sterlite Copper for flouting environmental norms.</p>.<p>April 10, 2018: Sterlite Copper informs the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India Limited that its application has been rejected for want of more clarifications.</p>.<p>May 22, 2018: More than 20,000 people march from Our Lady of Snows Shrine Basilica (Pani Maya Madha Kovil in Tamil) to the District Collectorate demanding closure of the plant. The protests turn violent, resulting in the killing of 12 people due to police firing.</p>.<p>May 23, 2018: One more person killed in fresh violence erupted in Thoothukudi.</p>.<p>May 24, 2018: TNPCB suspends electricity and water supply to Sterlite Copper.</p>.<p>May 24, 2018: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announces that the government was moving towards shutting down the plant.</p>.<p>May 28, 2018: The Tamil Nadu government orders permanent closure of the plant; Collector Sandeep Nanduri seals the plant in Thoothukudi.</p>.<p>July 3, 2018: Sterlite Copper moves National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to close down the plant.</p>.<p>December 15, 2018: NGT orders reopening of Sterlite Copper plant.</p>.<p>January 2, 2019: The Tamil Nadu government moves Supreme Court against NGT order to reopen the Sterlite copper plant.</p>.<p>February 18, 2019: The Supreme Court sets aside NGT order allowing reopening of the Sterlite Copper plant; allows the Vedanta-owned group to approach the Madras High Court.</p>.<p>February 27, 2019: Sterlite Copper moves the Madras High Court seeking reopening of the plant.</p>.<p>June 27, 2019: Madras High Court bench of Justices T S Sivagnanam and Bhavani Subbaroyan begins hearing the case.</p>.<p>January 8, 2020: Madras High Court reserves its verdict in the case.</p>.<p>August 18, 2020: Madras High Court dismisses Vedanta’s plea to reopen Sterlite Copper plant.</p>