India, Sept. 2 -- A five-member independent expert panel conducted a comprehensive safety evaluation of the 130-year-old Mullaperiyar dam in Keralam on Tuesday to assess its structural integrity.

The panel, headed by Balraj Joshi, former CMD of the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation, visited the dam and its premises at Vallakadavu near Kumily.

The inspection was conducted in accordance with a 2022 Supreme Court order on a petition filed by Keralam native Joe Joseph, a medical doctor, seeking an assessment of the dam's hydrological, seismic and structural aspects to ascertain whether the century-old structure posed a risk to public safety.

Keralam has long been demanding a safety audit of the dam as well as a new dam to replace t...