Don't multiply petitions, all issues to be considered in main matter, says SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday asked a petitioner, who was seeking a direction to the Centre to deploy any of the central security force at the 126-year-old Mullaperiyar dam for its protection, not to multiply pleas in the case, saying all the issues related to the dam would be considered in the main matter.

The apex court, which refused to entertain the fresh petition, granted liberty to the petitioner to move a formal application for impleadment in the pending proceeding.

Why do you want this matter to multiply? All the issues are there, a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and C T Ravikumar said, adding, All the issues will be considered in the main matter .

Don't multiply writ petitions. Individuals will come here and start filing petitions. The main issue is pending and it is being expedited now, the bench told advocate C R Jaya Sukin, who was appearing for the petitioner.

The top court had on November 22 said that issues related to the dam, which was built in 1895 on the Periyar river in Idukki district of Kerala, would be heard on December 10 after the parties had said that the main matter should proceed expeditiously.

During the hearing on Monday, Jaya Sukin told the bench that any of the national or international expert committees have not said anything about the increasing water level threat to the dam.

When the apex court said all the issues would be considered in the main matter, the advocate requested the bench to issue notice on the plea and tag it with the pending

matter.

We are disposing it of with liberty to you to get yourself impleaded there, the bench said.

The plea, filed by a Tamil Nadu resident, said there has been a demand for decommissioning of the dam and the agitators have now hardened their stand and are seeking that a new dam should

be built.