Vinod M Jain
Five tahsildars from Ramanagara district have appeared before the Lokayukta following complaints over the alleged failure to clear encroachments on lakes and take steps to protect and restore water bodies.
The officials— Tejaswini,Tahsildar,Ramanagara;Sanjay, Kanakapura;Girish,Channapatna;Ranjith Kumar,Magadi; and Harshavardhan,Harohalli appeared before the Lokayukta in accordance with an order dated July 17, 2026.
During the hearing,the Lokayukta examined reports submitted by the tahsildars and expressed serious concern over the slow progress in removing encroachments.
According to the Ramanagara tahsildar’s report,a survey of all 265 lakes in the district had been completed.
Encroachments were found in 190 lakes,but only 38 lakes had been cleared of encroachments,leaving 152 lakes yet to be cleared.
The Lokayukta observed that the pace of action was extremely slow and said the matter needed to be treated seriously, particularly if officials responsible for the delay were found to have neglected their duties.
The order stressed that protecting lakes by ensuring removal of encroachments and undertaking lake restoration is a basic and essential duty of the concerned officials.Any failure in this regard would be viewed seriously.
In Channapatna taluk,survey work was reportedly pending in connection with two lakes, while 207 lakes still required action for removal of encroachments.
In Harohalli taluk,surveys of all 181 lakes had been completed.
Encroachments were found in 115 lakes,but only 13 lakes had been cleared,leaving 102 lakes still encroached upon.
In Kanakapura taluk,surveys of all 313 lakes had been completed. Encroachments were detected in 180 lakes, of which 42 had been cleared,leaving 138 lakes still requiring action.
Magadi taluk,however,showed comparatively better progress.
Surveys of all 220 lakes had been completed and only 25 lakes remained to be cleared of encroachments.
The Lokayukta noted that,excluding Magadi,more than 100 lakes in the other taluks of Ramanagara district continued to face encroachment,despite several of the cases having been registered as far back as 2018.
Officials had allegedly been issued notices on several occasions to remove encroachments and submit compliance reports, but there had been no significant progress from successive tahsildars.
The tahsildars who appeared before the Lokayukta sought some additional time,assuring the authority that they would make sincere efforts to show substantial progress and submit compliance reports.
While the Lokayukta granted them some time,it also directed the Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner to take active steps in the matter.
The order further warned that failure to take preventive measures would be treated as dereliction of duty and maladministration,and action could be initiated against the responsible officials under the Karnataka Lokayukta Act.
The order has been forwarded to the Chief Secretary, Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner and all tahsildars concerned.The next hearing in the matter has been adjourned to November 13,2026.
