Following farmers backlash, CNNL instructed to withhold the project till further orders

Mysuru: Even as Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) was making full preparations to implement State Government’s ambitious plan of hosting the ‘Cauvery (Kaveri) Aarti’ at Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam and Brindavan Gardens in Srirangapatna taluk, Mandya district, Government has now orally directed the agency to put the project on hold.

The abrupt decision came this morning, following intense opposition from farmers and various farmers’ organisations, who have raised serious concerns over the structural integrity of the century-old Dam and the environmental impact of the religious spectacle.

Farmers are also fiercely opposing the proposed Amusement Park at the same location, warning that the combined impact of both projects could endanger the KRS Dam.

Modelled on the famed Ganga Aarti in Varanasi, the Cauvery Aarti was intended to be a grand spiritual and cultural attraction to boost tourism.

However, local residents, farmers and environmentalists argue that such mega-events could disturb the ecosystem, lead to river pollution and compromise the Dam’s safety.

The Government had already sanctioned Rs. 92.3 crore for the Aarti project, with CNNL floating global tenders for the construction of a massive viewing platform, an amphitheatre accommodating 8,000 people, public restrooms and other infrastructure. Future plans even aimed to expand the seating to 15,000 spectators. Despite the progress, the Government has now told CNNL to halt all activities until further notice.

This isn’t the first time a high-profile project at KRS has been shelved due to public resistance. Earlier, fierce protests and legal interventions forced the Government to abandon an ambitious Disneyland-like transformation of the KRS Dam and Brindavan Gardens.

The Rs. 2,000 crore project was the brainchild of then Tourism Minister S.R. Mahesh and Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar, with full support from then Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, during the Congress-JD(S) coalition Government. That plan, too, was scrapped in the face of widespread opposition.

However, following the return of the Congress to power and D.K. Shivakumar’s appointment as Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister, the idea was revived with a rebranded identity and a significantly larger budget of Ra. 2,615.96 crore, now titled “Modern Makeover for Brindavan Gardens.”

Careful to avoid the word “Disneyland,” the Government reintroduced the project with a more cultural and tourist-friendly narrative.

On Sept. 9, 2024, CNNL issued fresh tenders for the redevelopment, setting the wheels in motion for an international-style revamp of the Brindavan Gardens. The Cauvery Aarti was later incorporated as a core component of this transformation, and is reportedly a pet project of Shivakumar.

With today’s oral directive to put Aarti project on hold, the fate of the entire modernisation push now hangs in the balance, once again caught between the Government’s development ambitions and the farmers’ fierce resolve to protect KRS Dam.