21-05-2025
Amusement park at KRS dam: Karnataka HC issues notice to state, Centre
Bengaluru: The
Karnataka high court
has issued notices to both Union and state govts in response to a
public interest litigation
(PIL), challenging a tender notification for setting up an
amusement park
at the Brindavan Garden area of Krishnaraja Sagara (KRS) dam in Mandya.
A vacation bench comprising Justices BM Shyam Prasad and KV Aravind also issued notices to National Dam Safety Authority of India and other respondents. The matter is scheduled to be heard again on June 9, 2025.
The PIL was filed by K Boraiah and four other residents, questioning the govt's March 15, 2025 tender notification, inviting proposals for a commercial project spread across 198 acres, for an estimated cost of Rs 2,663 crore.
According to the petitioners, the proposal involves non-agricultural commercial development in a sensitive zone surrounding the KRS dam. They argue that the authorities have overlooked important considerations such as dam security, environmental and ecological impact, and the protected status of the area.
They further submitted that the state govt had not sought prior approval from the National Dam Safety Authority, nor had it invited public feedback on the proposed development or disclosed its potential impacts.
"The grievance of farmers in the catchment and Cauvery basin for several decades has been the need to upgrade water canals and desilt tanks to improve storage capacity. To date, no such measures have been taken, but a project worth Rs 2,663 crore from public revenue is being initiated without addressing these long-standing demands," the petitioners stated.
The petitioners have sought judicial intervention to review and halt the proposed commercial development, citing risks to agriculture, water security, and the region's ecological balance.
