5 months ago
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The ongoing drone-powered GIS-survey and mapping of each lakes successful the State is astir complete. As per latest information presented successful the precocious concluded Karnataka Legislature session, 37% of the lakes successful the State are encroached.
District-wise interruption up shows Bengaluru Urban (88% of lakes encroached), Bengaluru Rural (90%), and Bengaluru South (57%) districts topping the list. Yadgir, Kalaburagi, and Udupi districts person performed the best. Mysuru, Mandya, Tumakuru, Davangere, Ballari, and Chikkamagaluru districts person astir fractional of their lakes encroached.
The Department of Survey Settlement and Land Records has identified 41,849 lakes dispersed implicit 7.78 lakh acres. Of this, survey of 41,225 lakes is complete, and the remaining 624 lakes successful Kolar and Hassan districts are yet to beryllium surveyed. Of the 41,225 lakes surveyed, 15,048 lakes are encroached upon. The grade of encroachment identified is 45,046 acres 33 guntas.
Survey and database
J. Manjunath, Commissioner, Department of Survey Settlement and Land Records, said the accuracy of the survey that utilized outer images, drones, and connected crushed survey was close to 5 centimetres. “An connected crushed survey is conducted utilizing rovers, which is past superimposed connected digitised gross maps which person the accepted akarband, utilizing a drone survey. This volition springiness america 1 of the astir close presumption of the water today,” helium said.
This survey has besides created the archetypal of its benignant centralised database of each lakes. “Since aggregate agencies are custodians of these lakes, determination was nary information connected lakes disposable astatine 1 place. The survey has created the archetypal centralised database of each lakes successful the State,” Mr. Manjunath said.
Bengaluru Urban and Rural districts person astir of their lakes encroached.
“We often accidental that nary water successful Bengaluru City is spared from encroachment . So, it is heartening to spot 107 lakes successful the Bengaluru Urban territory to not person immoderate encroachments. Some of these whitethorn beryllium those that person been precocious rejuvenated arsenic well,” said V. Ramprasad, Friends of Lakes.
However, helium observed that astir of the lakes, 90% of them, being encroached successful Bengaluru Rural territory was shocking. “As urbanised Bengaluru is spreading horizontally beyond the city, lakes successful Bengaluru Rural and South districts are besides nether superior threat, this shows,” helium said.
In fact, the grade of encroachment of lakes is overmuch higher successful Bengaluru Rural territory than successful Bengaluru Urban district. There are 837 lakes dispersed implicit 27,726 acres 19 guntas successful Bengaluru Urban district, 730 of them are encroached and the grade of encroachment is recovered to beryllium 4,229 acres 21.8 guntas (15.25%). On the different hand, determination are 710 lakes dispersed implicit 30,032 acres 37 guntas, 643 of them are encroached and the grade of encroachment is recovered to beryllium 6,252 acres 18 guntas (20.8%).
Bengaluru South territory is not acold behind. While 57% of the district’s lakes person immoderate encroachment, the grade is constricted to 5.24%.
However, Friends of Lakes, a conjugation of water conservation activists and volunteers, has welcomed the centralised database of the crushed concern of the lakes arsenic the request of the hour. “The authorities indispensable enactment each data, including maps of each the lakes successful the nationalist domain, truthful that the civilian nine tin clasp the authorities and the encroachers accountable,” Mr. Ramprasad said.
Encroachment clearance
Responding to a question raised by MLC M. Nagaraju, Minister for Minor Irrigation N.S. Boseraju said that arsenic per a 2012 High Court bid determination was an apex committee formed astatine the State level nether the enactment of Principal Secretary, Revenue Department, to usher custodians of lakes with its rejuvenation, conservation, encroachment clearance, and upkeep. Likewise, successful each territory Deputy Commissioner leads a akin committee, who is tasked with encroachment clearance, helium said.
All custodian departments who wide encroachments of lakes person been asked to update the aforesaid successful a peculiar format truthful that the centralised database is besides updated automatically, sources said.
