MUMBAI (REUTERS) - An Indian fast-track environmental court has adjourned until Friday a hearing into the closure of the country's largest copper smelter, run by Sterlite Industries Ltd, a lawyer said on Tuesday.

State authorities ordered the closure of the plant, which produces more than 300,000 tonnes of the metal a year on March 29 after nearby residents complained about emissions.

Sterlite, a unit of London-listed resources conglomerate Vedanta Resources Plc, has said the plant's emissions fell within agreed limits.

It declared force majeure on copper sales and concentrate purchases on April 3. Force majeure is a contract clause that allows a company to miss shipments in circumstances beyond its control.