New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear on August 17 the plea of Tamil Nadu government challenging an order of the National Green Tribunal allowing mining major Vedanta access to the administrative unit inside its closed Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin in the state.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice A M Khanwilkar considered the submission of the state government and posted its plea for hearing on August 17. The NGT had on August 9 allowed Vedanta to enter its administrative unit inside its Sterlite copper plant, observing that no environmental damage would be caused by allowing access to the administrative section.