Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu), May 31: The Tamil Nadu government on Thursday filed a caveat before the Supreme Court in connection with the closure of the Sterlite plant in Thoothukudi.

The filing of a caveat means that the apex court cannot pass any order without hearing the side which had filed the same (Tamil Nadu government). Many social activists have been knocking the doors of the top court regarding arsenic and cadmium poisoning in the groundwater table in Thoothukudi due to the Sterlite plant's activities.

Local fishermen have also demanded the closure of Sterlite Industries, alleging that chemical effluents from the industry have affected the rivers and ponds nearby, because of which their production has declined.

Agitations against Sterlite industries have been going on for months now, with people demanding a ban on it due to the various environmental threats it posed. The protests took a violent turn on May 22 when police opened fire on the protesters, which resulted in the death of 13 people and injuring 102.