Update, 1:51 pm

: Madras High Court has adjourned Vedanta hearing to Monday. Justices CT Selvam and Basheer Ahmed directed Vedanta to report on intended maintenance plan. Court asked the state government to examine report and respond by Monday.

Vedanta Ltd has filed a petition in Madurai Bench of Madras High Court seeking access to its shut copper smelter plant in Tuticorin.

The move comes two days after the plant witnessed a sulphuric acid leak. A government official on Sunday said that the plant's sulphuric acid storage plant saw a 'minor' leak that does not look 'problematic'.

A leakage was observed in the sulphuric acid storage plant. It doesn't look problematic, but we have decided to evacuate the storage tomorrow as a safety precaution," Sandeep Nanduri, the district's top administrative official, said on Sunday.

The petition seeks access to plant to assess the damage, and partial restoration of electricity.

Petition states that the Tamil Nadu government disconnected electricity merely to appease protestors.

Also Read: Reporter’s Diary: At the epicentre of Tamil Nadu’s “General Dyer Moment”

The smelter accounted for over a third of India's refined copper output, and India is set to see a rise in copper imports following the shutdown.

Sulphuric acid, a corrosive byproduct of smelting, is used by fertilizer and chemical companies as a raw material.

First Published:Jun 20, 2018 9:13 AM IST