DMK moves Madras High Court challenging Dam Safety Act

The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has moved the Madras High Court challenging the Dam Safety Act 2021, stating that the Act would completely reduce the power of the states over the control of dams located within their territory.

The petition was moved in the Madras High Court on Tuesday by DMK MP from Myladuthurai, S. Ramalingam.

Senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP, P. Wilson, while appearing for the petitioner before the first bench of the Madras High Court represented by acting Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and Justice P.D. Adikesavalu, requested for an early hearing in the case given the importance of the subject.

Wilson, while moving the plea, said that the writ petition challenges the Act on various grounds, including the legislative competence of the Parliament to legislate the Act while the subject is in the state domain.

The advocate told the court that the Dam Safety Act will completely denude the control of the states over dams located inside and outside their territory.

The high court allowed the request and permitted to move the petition on January 10.

The Dam Safety Act 2021 had met with stiff resistance from the opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha who had objected to various provisions, including the setting up of the National Committee on Dam Safety, which will have only seven representatives from the states.

Political parties in Tamil Nadu had also opposed the Dam Safety Act stating that the rights of the state, which depends on the neighbouring states for its due share of water in inter-state rivers including Cauvery and Palar, will be deprived.