Petitioner claims a breach at the 129-year-old Mullaperiyar dam may lead to deaths of lakhs of people spread across five townships

The Supreme Court heard a petition filed by advocate-petitioner Mathews Nedumpara, who submitted that a breach at the 129-year-old limestone-and-surkhi built Mullaperiyar dam may lead to the deaths of lakhs of people spread across five townships.File | Photo Credit:

The Hindu

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 8, 2025) orally said the Union government was yet to wake up from its “slumber” and fully implement a nearly five-year-old law to prevent disasters related to dams and ensure their safe functioning.

A three-judge Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant said the Dam Safety Act of 2021 was “existing on paper” after the State of Kerala argued that “nothing has been done”, including the constitution of a National Committee on Dam Safety.