TAMIL NADU POLUTION CONTROL BOARD vs STERLITE INDUSTRIES (I) LTD. .

The Supreme Court addressed appeals concerning the National Green Tribunal's orders regarding the operation of Sterlite Industries' copper smelter plant, which had faced environmental compliance issues under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The Court upheld the NGT's decision to allow the plant to operate under certain conditions, rejecting the maintainability challenge raised by the TNPCB. The judgment clarified the procedural aspects of appeals under the NGT Act, emphasizing the necessity of exhausting administrative remedies before approaching the Tribunal.