The Supreme Court on Tuesday, while permitting Sterlite Industries at Tuticorin to continue the operations at its copper plant, directed the company to file a fresh application before the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) for grant of consent to run the plant.

A Bench of Justice R.M. Lodha and Justice H.L. Gokhale, in its interim order, asked the company to file the application for renewal of the consent within 15 days and asked the Board to make an enquiry in accordance with law and pass orders within a month thereafter.