India's environment court granted Vedanta Ltd. conditional access to its Tuticorin copper smelter in Tamil Nadu for administrative purposes, Reuters reported Aug. 9.

The court did not allow the company to resume operations at the plant, which was closed in May amid violent protests over environmental concerns.

An analysis of groundwater at the plant showed it was contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, manganese, iron and arsenic.

Vedanta seeks to reopen the smelter, with a court hearing scheduled to resume Aug. 20.