The National Green Tribunal, New Delhi, on Wednesday declined to grant any interim relief to Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd to reopen its copper smelter plant in Tuticorin. The unit was closed on March 29 following complaints of excessive emission of sulphur dioxide.

However, the NGT, after perusing the Expert Committee’s report, stated, “It appears that the stack and ambient air quality are within the permissible limits.”

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday refused to grant any interim relief to UK-based Vedanta Group company, Sterlite Industries Ltd, to commence operation of its copper smelting plant in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district.

A bench headed by (NGT) Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said even though the expert committee report said the emission and ambient air quality were within prescribed limits, there is no “justification” for allowing the plant to start operating as there were claims of gas leakage from the industrial unit.

Even while trade and industry have been demanding the reopening of the GAIL pipeline project, citing the energy needs of the region, farmers are united against its unilateral implementation in its

INDORE: Panic gripped the industrial town of Nagda in Ujjain, nearly 120 km from here, when a toxic gas leaked from a German plant on Tuesday affecting 50 villagers in the vicinity. While most of those affected were discharged after primary treatment, three plant officials were arrested and later released on bail.

Victims complained of cough, burning in eyes and breathlessness and were admitted to Indubhai Parekh Memorial Hospital for treatment. All but three were discharged within hours of being admitted.

In a dramatic turn of events, the National Green Tribunal (southern region) has decided to transfer the ongoing Sterlite Industries (copper plant) imbroglio to National Green Tribunal in New Delhi, citing “circumstances did not permit us” to hear the case further in Chennai.

The tribunal, which was supposed to announce a decision on an inspection report filed by a team of four on the alleged poisonous gas leakage on Monday, has decided to transfer the case to the principal tribunal in Delhi due to unavoidable circumstances, sources pointed out.

They say people of Tuticorin have been bearing brunt of emission

There was panic in the town after chlorine gas leaked from Panjab Alkalies and Chemicals Limited (PACL) early this morning. Residents of Jawahar Nagar Market area rushed out of their homes at about 5.30 am, complaining of suffocation and irritation in the eyes, Lovely Angra, a local panch, said. Pawan, another resident, said: " At about 6 am, I felt breathless and uneasy. I ran out of my house where I saw a large crowd already on the streets. Soon, we learnt that gas had leaked from the nearby plant."

The south bench of the National Green Tribunal ordered the constitution of a two-member expert committee to inspect Sterlite Industries's controversial copper plant in Tuticorin, which was closed a

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The National Green Tribunal has ordered the constitution of an expert committee to inspect Sterlite Copper smelting unit in Tuticorin.