Vedanta Limited vs State of Tamil Nadu

Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation

2024 Supreme(SC) 194

D. Y. CHANDRACHUD, J B PARDIWALA, MANOJ MISRA
Vedanta Limited – Appellant
Versus
State of Tamil Nadu – Respondent

Advocates appeared:
For the Petitioner(s): Ms. Deepanwita Priyanka, AOR
For the Respondent(s): Mr. Krishnendu Datta, Sr. Adv. Mr. Kaushik Moitra, Adv. Ms. Vaishnavi Rao, Adv. Mr. Shiva Pande, Adv. Mr. Rajat Sinha, Adv. Mr. Anurag Tandon, AOR

Judgement Key Points

The court held that environmental violations by industrial units justify regulatory actions such as closure, emphasizing the importance of adhering to environmental norms to protect public welfare and the environment. It also affirmed that judicial review under constitutional provisions allows for oversight of statutory authorities' enforcement of environmental laws, especially when violations are serious and persistent.

JUDGMENT :

Table of Contents
A.	SLP (C) Nos 10159‐10168 and 10461‐10462 of 2020
	i. Background
	ii. The judgment of this Court in 2013
	iii. The decision in this case
	a. Violations of environmental norms and consequent harm
	b. The High Court did not commit an error of jurisdiction
	c. Interference under Article 136 is not warranted
B.	Civil Appeal Nos. 276‐285 of 2021

A. SLP (C) Nos 10159-10168 and 10461-10462 of 2020

i. Background

1. The Special Leave Petitions arise from a judgment dated 18 August 2020 of a Division Bench of the High Court of Judicature at Madras in a batch of ten petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.

2. A series of orders passed in April and May 2018 by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board¹[“TNPCB”] and by the Government of Tamil Nadu and an order dated 29 March 2013 passed by the former form the subject of the challenge.

3. By the orders impugned, the copper smelter operated by the petitioner (Vedanta Limited) at the SIPCOT industrial complex in Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu was directed to be closed for violations of numerous environmental norms.

4. Initially, there was

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2024 Supreme(SC) 194

D. Y. CHANDRACHUD, J B PARDIWALA, MANOJ MISRAVedanta Limited – AppellantVersusState of Tamil Nadu – Respondent

D. Y. CHANDRACHUD, J B PARDIWALA, MANOJ MISRA
Vedanta Limited – Appellant
Versus
State of Tamil Nadu – Respondent