The Supreme Court of India has reprimanded the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) for delaying legal action against Isha Foundation, a yoga and meditation center founded by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, over alleged environmental violations. The court criticized the TNPCB for taking two years to challenge a Madras High Court ruling that quashed a showcause notice against the foundation. The court also emphasized the importance of environmental compliance for the yoga center, noting that it must meet all necessary parameters. The case highlights ongoing legal challenges and environmental concerns related to the Isha Foundation's activities.
Chief Justice of India considers shifting Supreme Court hearings to virtual mode due to severe air pollution in Delhi after experiencing its effects firsthand.
A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul said the case will be heard on January 8.
Vedanta Ltd, which is planning to restart its copper plant in Tamil Nadu, is weighing the option to sell the unit at a valuation of up to Rs 4,500 crore, banking sources have said. The company had sought expressions of interest (EoIs) for the plant in June last year but did not get a good response as the unit was shut for the last five years. "The process has now restarted with the bankers reaching out to potential bidders," said a banker.
Tamil Nadu says it's intriguing only BJP-ruled states top the list, while industrialised states are given a go-by.
The Madras High Court has dismissed a petition seeking to prevent the Isha Foundation from conducting Mahasivarathri celebrations at its Coimbatore campus. The petitioner had alleged that the foundation lacked adequate sewage treatment facilities and caused noise pollution. However, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) informed the court that the foundation has adequate treatment facilities and complies with noise regulations. The court dismissed the petition, allowing the celebrations to proceed.
What will the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government do to answer the queries and fears of investors who will want to be doubly sure they would not be harassed at a later date, as has been happening to Sterlite, should be interesting to watch, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
The PMK has now lent its voice to the protests against the mining of atomic minerals in Kanyakumari.
The Supreme Court of India has refused to interfere with a Madras High Court order quashing notices issued by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) against Isha Foundation, founded by Jaggi Vasudev. The notices were issued for alleged violation of environmental norms in the construction of a yoga and meditation center in Coimbatore. The court, however, emphasized that its order should not be seen as a precedent for regularizing illegal constructions and that Isha Foundation must comply with all environmental norms. The foundation had argued that its facilities fall under the education category, which exempts them from needing environmental clearance.
A bench headed by Justice R F Nariman said it is allowing Tamil Nadu's appeal against the National Green Tribunal order only on grounds of maintainability.
Buildings were decorated with colourful lights and earthen lamps dotted houses as people across the country thronged temples and celebrated Diwali with pomp on Monday.
When it closed close down the copper plant at Thoothukudi in 2013. Its orders were held illegal by the NGT on procedural grounds
Smelter produces more than 300,000 tonnes a year to supply half of India's domestic copper needs.
The survey was conducted in 88 major industrial clusters in the country.
Mercury waste from HLLs thermometer manufacturing unit at Kodaikanal is now being cleared and shipped to a US firm for recovery of the chemical.
Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta's Sterlite Copper has come out with a fresh notification inviting expressions of interest (EoIs) to supply raw materials like copper concentrate, imported thermal coal, rock phosphate and petroleum products, among others, as part of its preparatory measures to restart production at its Thoothukudi unit in Tamil Nadu. This plant is likely to restart operations if a Supreme Court verdict goes in favour of the company. On June 12, the company had invited EoIs for carrying out plant 'restart activities'.
A government release also urged people of the state to burst crackers with low decibel and pollution levels.
Vedanta had sought handing over of the plant for three months saying it requires two months to start the unit and the company should be allowed to run it for four weeks to ascertain whether its polluting or not. The interim plea by Vedanta was opposed by Tamil Nadu government which claimed before a bench headed by Justice R F Nariman that the plant had been 'polluting consistently'.
The Sterlite Copper Smelter unit in Tuticorin, which was shut down over two months ago, has resumed operations after the National Green Tribunal's expert panel gave a green signal.
The maintenance work will include operations such as removal of remaining gypsum and leachate handling operations among others. Based on this, the district administration has now allowed the firm to maintain the plant after five years.
A farmers' association of Tirunelveli district had filed the petition claiming that EIA was mandatory for the project to be implemented in 16,000 acres of land, of which around 3,000 acres would be on the sea shore.
The Supreme Court Thursday termed the COVID-19 situation as almost a "national emergency" while agreeing to hear Vedanta's plea for opening of its Sterlite copper unit at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu on the ground that it would produce thousand tonnes of oxygen and give it free of cost to treat patients.
The government order said it endorsed the recent closure direction of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, and also asked the TNPCB to "seal the unit and close the plant permanently".
The Madras high court on Tuesday rejected a plea from mining giant Vedanta to order reopening of its Sterlite copper unit at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu.
'If the BJP comes back to power, Sterlite will open in one week.' 'If the Congress comes to power, it will open in one month.'
Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta's Sterlite Copper on Monday came out with an advertisement inviting expression of interest (EoI) for carrying out plant "restart activities" at its Thoothukudi unit in Tamil Nadu, that got closed more than five years ago following an order issued by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). The EoI for restart comes when the company is still awaiting the final judgement on the issue, and the court has only allowed it to do maintenance work. "We have initiated the upkeep and maintenance activities at the plant as allowed by the Supreme Court vide its order dated May 4, 2023, in coordination with the district authorities.
A number of persons fainted after experiencing 'burning sensation' in their throat and chest. Many people who were asleep woke up in panic and scurried out of their homes and alerted neighbours and all of them soon reached the main roads unsure of what to do.
'They are taking the people of the country for granted.'
Villagers have been protesting against the Sterlite factory since February 12, with an effigy of Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal as the backdrop. More than 75 days hence, the dharna continues, the summer vacation seeing children joining the protest.
The issue of pollution caused due to the non-degradable material is keeping consumer goods majors - from ITC and Dabur to Nestl and PepsiCo - on their toes.
Hindustan Unilever, the Indian subsidiary of the consumer goods company, has denied wrongdoing.
This comes at a time when the group's copper plant in Tamil Nadu remains shut for nearly three years, causing a Rs 5 crore loss every day.
The Tamil Nadu government had, on May 28, ordered the state pollution control board to seal and "permanently" close the mining group's copper plant following violent protests over pollution concerns.
Closure has meant loss of Rs 2,000 crore to the public exchequer; around three per cent of Tamil Nadu's Gross State Domestic Product is from the facility
The first two units of the Kudankulam nuclear plant will discharge 6.3 billion litres of waste water every day right onto the beach. This discharge will trigger a slow-motion disaster that will poison beaches, devastate near-shore fisheries and choke the livelihood of fisherfolk in the vicinity, says Nityanand Jayaraman.
BJP, AIADMK oppose the project while DMK and CPI(M) support the Sethusamudram shipping project across the Palk Strait. T E Narasimhan reports
Unilever said it was "working actively" to find a solution to a long-pending dispute on ecology contamination by its unit at Kodaikanal.
Mark Scialla had interviewed several people on December 28 and 29 on alleged health issues faced by them due to the now closed Sterlite copper plant. Rambha said the visa clearly stated that the American national should not embark on any work except tourist activities.
In a bid to ensure quality and affordable drinking water to the poor and middle class people, the Jayalalithaa government in Tamil Nadu is set to launch nine 'Amma Mineral Water' production units across the state that would offer one litre bottle priced at Rs 10.
The National Human Rights Commission took cognisance of the violence and issued notices to chief secretary and the director general of police, calling for detailed reports in two weeks.
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