<p class="title rtejustify">The Madras High Court on Monday issued a notice to the Vedanta group's Sterlite copper plant on a petition seeking Rs 750 crore towards the rehabilitation of people affected by pollution allegedly caused by it and relief for victims of the police firing during a protest in May.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Petitioner Vijaya Nivas sought a court direction to the company to pay Rs 620 crore for rehabilitation of people in and around its plant in Tuticorin, apart from a compensation of Rs 10 crore each for the 13 people killed in police firing during the anti-Sterlite agitation on May 22 and 23.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">When the matter came up for hearing, Justices M M Sundaresh and Satheesh Kumar issued notices to Sterlite Copper chairman Anil Agarwal and the central and state governments.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The petitioner claimed that the environment within an area of 25 sq km around Tuticorin had suffered because of the pollution, which had also affected the groundwater.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Hence, the company should pay Rs 620 crore to rehabilitate the affected people, Nivas submitted.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Thirteen people were killed in police firing on May 22 and 23 when violence broke out during the protest by locals demanding the closure of the plant.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The state government subsequently issued an order for "permanent closure" of the Sterlite copper smelter, following which the company moved National Green Tribunal to challenge it. </p>
<p class="title rtejustify">The Madras High Court on Monday issued a notice to the Vedanta group's Sterlite copper plant on a petition seeking Rs 750 crore towards the rehabilitation of people affected by pollution allegedly caused by it and relief for victims of the police firing during a protest in May.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Petitioner Vijaya Nivas sought a court direction to the company to pay Rs 620 crore for rehabilitation of people in and around its plant in Tuticorin, apart from a compensation of Rs 10 crore each for the 13 people killed in police firing during the anti-Sterlite agitation on May 22 and 23.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">When the matter came up for hearing, Justices M M Sundaresh and Satheesh Kumar issued notices to Sterlite Copper chairman Anil Agarwal and the central and state governments.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The petitioner claimed that the environment within an area of 25 sq km around Tuticorin had suffered because of the pollution, which had also affected the groundwater.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Hence, the company should pay Rs 620 crore to rehabilitate the affected people, Nivas submitted.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">Thirteen people were killed in police firing on May 22 and 23 when violence broke out during the protest by locals demanding the closure of the plant.</p>.<p class="bodytext rtejustify">The state government subsequently issued an order for "permanent closure" of the Sterlite copper smelter, following which the company moved National Green Tribunal to challenge it. </p>