Bomb threat prompts search of century-old Mullaperiyar dam

The police in Idukki district of Kerala said on Monday (October 13, 2025) that security personnel conducted intensive searches at the more than a century-old Mullaperiyar dam following a bomb threat.

An email, threatening to blow up the reservoir, was received at the District Collectorate in neighbouring Thrissur district, the police said.

As soon as the information was received, a team of police and the bomb squad rushed to the dam site and carried out searches, they said.

"Nothing suspicious has been found so far. The inspection is still continuing," a police officer added.

Built in 1895, the Mullaperiyar dam is a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu, which owns and operates it, and Kerala, where it is located.

The bomb threat was received on a day when the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre, the Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments, as well as the NDMA, on a PIL seeking construction of a new dam to replace the 130-year-old dam following concerns over its safety and structural stability.