Mysore/Mysuru: With the Karnataka High Court staying the State Government’s plan to conduct Cauvery Aarti at Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) reservoir near Belagola in Srirangapatna taluk, it now appears highly unlikely that the Government’s ambitious ‘Cauvery Aarti’ project will be executed by this year’s Dasara.

Earlier this year, Government had announced its decision to perform ‘Cauvery Aarti’ on the lines of the famed ‘Ganga Aarti’ at Varanasi and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, at an estimated cost of Rs. 92 crore.

Alongside, it also unveiled plans to develop Brindavan Gardens into a mega Amusement Park under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, at a cost of over Rs. 2,600 crore.

However, the announcement triggered sharp opposition from local farmers, farmer associations and environmentalists, who filed two separate petitions before the Karnataka High Court. The petitioners argued that both projects posed a serious threat to the Dam’s safety and the surrounding ecology.

Hearing the two petitions, the High Court clubbed them together, as they pertained to the same project site. In its previous hearing, the Court stayed both the ‘Cauvery Aarti’ and Amusement Park projects and posted the next hearing for Sept. 1.

With the stay in place and Mysuru Dasara just over three weeks away, hopes of launching the ‘Cauvery Aarti’ project this festive season have all but evaporated. Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) KRS Circle Executive Engineer Jayant confirmed to Star of Mysore yesterday that the HC stay applies to both projects.

He admitted that, given the scale of the planned Aarti, it would take more than a year to execute the project with all necessary facilities and infrastructure. A new connecting bridge to the identified spot must first be constructed, which involves detailed planning and approvals, while additional facilities, too, would require considerable time.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that a group of elected representatives from Mandya district, along with District Administration officials, recently held a meeting at the hotel in Brindavan Gardens to discuss both Dasara celebrations and the ‘Cauvery Aarti’ plan.

Before the meeting, they inspected the proposed Arati site at KRS Reservoir. Discussions reportedly centred on the need for the Government to submit documents before the High Court to justify the projects and seek the lifting of the stay. The Government, it is learnt, is preparing to argue strongly in favour of both projects, which it believes will provide a major tourism boost to Mandya.