The Supreme Court on Friday directed the concerned for digitisation of the voluminous report submitted by the expert committee with regard to the safety aspects of Mullaperiyar dam and said that the same be handed over to all the parties concerned.
A five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Justices D K Jain, Justice R M Lodha, Justice H L Dattu, Justice C K Prasad and Justice A R Dave posted the matter to October 5 for further directions.
It may be recalled that the expert committee had submitted the report recently in a sealed cover saying that dam is structurally and hydrologically safe.
The Bench had constituted the expert committee to examine afresh the safety aspect of the dam.
“We will have a paperless hearing,” the Bench remarked before directing the the Registry for digitisation of the 50,000-odd page report to enable the court to examine it.
The Bench recorded the submission made by the Additional Solicitor General Hiren Raval that the Ministry of Water Resources would render all the assistance required in the digitisation process.
It was on July 23 that the Bench had permitted the State of Tamil Nadu to carry out minor repairs and maintenance works on the dam.
The Bench also permitted the State of Kerala to have copies of the technical report which was relied upon by the empowered committee to conclude that the dam was structurally and hydrologically safe.