On March 21, 2006, the Government issued an order that artificial lighting may be limited to one hour every day, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. The order said the equipment for artificial lighting and related structures should be installed outside the forest and that the work be executed through the Vana Samrakshana Samithy. The VSS should maintain the scheme in accordance with Participatory Forest Management rules. The project report stated that 1,000 watt and 90 lm lights should be used and the intensity should be brought to the lowest levels possible.

The Government ordered that the equipment should be kept outside the forest to evade clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest under Section II of the 1980 Forest Conservation Act, environmentalists allege. "How can you justify the scheme maintaining that the equipment is kept outside the reserve forest, when its effect can be felt inside? Keeping the source of light outside the forest does not solve the problem so long as the light is there. Moreover, the Athirappilly waterfall is not wide and dynamic lighting will hardly enhance its beauty. The flow of water will further be reduced if the proposed Athirappilly hydroelectric project is implemented," says an environmentalist.

The dynamic lighting scheme is being implemented in order to cater to the interests of a few private tourist resort companies and water theme parks, environmentalists allege. They urge Forest Minister Benoy Viswom to revoke the dynamic lighting scheme considering its severe ecological impact.

On June 8, a meeting was held at Chalakudy to discuss the Athirappilly waterfall development project. It was attended by Ecotourism Director K. G. Mohanlal, Chalakudy Divisional Forest Officer M. I. Varghese and representatives of Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (KIDCO). On June 9, Conservator of Forests N. Sasidharan wrote to the Government, calling for a re-examination of the dynamic lighting scheme considering KFRI's warnings about ecological damage.