Bengaluru: Amid widespread confusion over the ownership and status of thousands of lakes and water bodies across Karnataka, minister for Minor Irrigation NS Boseraju Thursday directed officials to prepare an accurate list of the total number of lakes and water bodies in the state and initiate steps to classify them department-wise. He warned that the persistent ambiguity among multiple departments threatened the very existence of these water bodies.Chairing a meeting of senior officials from the Minor Irrigation Department, Survey, Settlement and Land Records (SSLR), Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre (KSRAC), Karnataka Science and Technology Council (KCST) and the Lake Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) in Bengaluru, the minister reviewed the status and condition of water bodies across the state.
Senior officials informed the minister that there was significant ambiguity over the ownership of as many as 41,849 water bodies in Karnataka. Overlapping claims by multiple departments and the lack of clarity on management responsibilities, they said, severely hampered the protection and upkeep of several lakes, threatening their long-term survival. Stressing the need to resolve the issue urgently, Boseraju said accurate and consolidated data on the exact number of water bodies was essential. He underscored the importance of inter-departmental coordination and instructed all departments to act immediately on the exercise.The minister later said that the proposed scientific enumeration would not only establish the exact number of lakes but also help streamline conservation efforts and protect water bodies from encroachment. Acknowledging that several lakes fall under different departments, he directed officials to categorise all identified water bodies based on departmental ownership—including those under the Minor Irrigation Department, Rural Development Department and other agencies—to clearly define maintenance and management responsibilities.Noting that water levels in many lakes were rapidly receding, Boseraju asked officials to compile and submit details of lakes currently holding less than 30 per cent of their storage capacity. “This data will be crucial for planning future development and rejuvenation works,” he said. Officials from KSRAC and KCST were also directed to make effective use of satellite data to validate and document the identified water bodies across Karnataka.
