Amusement park project near KRS: Karnataka HC asks for government affidavit on safety study on dam
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government, which has permitted the development of an amusement park on the lines of Disneyland near the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) in Mandya district, was directed by the High Court on Friday to submit an affidavit clarifying if any technical assessment was done on dam safety before approving the project proposal.
The project is being undertaken near the dam at an estimated cost of ₹2,663 crore under the public-private partnership.
The High Court bench of Chief Justice V Kameshwar Rao and Justice CM Joshi, which heard two public interest litigations (PILs) filed against the construction of the amusement park, has also demanded information regarding a proposal to construct infrastructure facilities to accommodate 20,000 to 25,000 people in an open theatre along with parking place to attend the proposed programme of ‘Cauvery Aarti’ near the KRS.
The petitioners, K Boraiah and four other farmers from Krishnaraja Sagar in Srirangapatna taluk, and Sunanda Jayaram, an agriculturist from Gejjalagere in Mandya taluk, have questioned the tenders issued by the government inviting proposals from private companies to develop the project and maintain it for 30 years. Sunanda Jayaram has questioned the in-principal approval given by the Water Resources Department to the Cauvery Neeravari Nigama Limited (CNNL) to utilise around Rs 92 crore to create permanent infrastructure for ‘Cauvery Aarti’.
Their PIL points out that the authorities had neglected the safety of the KRS while proposing the projects. They also argued that the HC had, in January 2024, banned all types of mining and quarrying activities within a 20-km radius of the dam till the completion of a study by experts. The HC had also directed authorities concerned to ensure that the decision be taken by a committee on dam safety, set up as per the provisions of the Dam Safety Act, 2021.
The government earlier pointed out that the tender for the project was not complete. While that for installing a statue of the Cauvery is complete, the work order was yet to be issued. The government documents produced before the court had reference to an old technical assessment report with regard to the impact of installing the statue and not other construction works.
The judges, hearing the petition, have asked the government as well as the CNNL to file affidavits clarifying on the technical assessment of the work on the project near the dam that had been undertaken after the State Advocate-General sought time to answer the specific query of the court on whether prior technical assessments were carried out in this regard, although assuring the court that safety of the dam has been kept in mind while approving the projects and that apprehensions of the petitioners are unfounded.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
