BENGALURU: The state government agencies are currently reviewing base maps and preparing ground survey reports to determine the extent of lake land loss across Karnataka. The goal of this exercise is not just to update government records but to revise them to reflect the actual situation.
According to Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA), there are 40,998 lakes in the state, of which 202 are in Bengaluru. This data was recently submitted to the High Court.
However, there is no comprehensive record detailing of how many lakes have been lost, encroached upon, or repurposed. For instance, Dharmambudhi lake was transformed into the Majestic Bus Stand, Shoolay Lake became an indoor stadium, and Domlur Lake was converted into a residential layout by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).
“There are numerous water bodies that have been lost to urban development. However, according to government records and as per the 1971 base maps, they are still classified as water bodies. This discrepancy should be corrected. The records should be updated to reflect the changes that have occurred. While this has been proposed multiple times, it has never been implemented. We are now attempting to address it. It’s a tough decision to take, but it is necessary. If this issue is challenged in court, we risk losing the case,” said a revenue department official.
The revenue department is working with district administrations, the forest department, KTCDA, and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to prepare a detailed report of the number of lakes that have been lost over time, including when and why the losses occurred.
The KTCDA is also leveraging the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre’s drone surveys to gather data from various districts.
Prof TV Ramachandra from Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc said, “In Bengaluru alone, there were 756 lakes but now only 216 remains. We have lost 540 to both government and private projects. The government should not alter records, but rather update them to reflect these changes. While this is a good move, it will be better if stern action is also taken against encroachers and encroachments are cleared.”
Ramachandra emphasised that court rulings are clear-- once a water body is always a water body. The courts have also repeatedly stated that there is no such thing as ‘dry lakes’. Based on the finding of the surveys, the government should take appropriate action to protect these water bodies, he said.
Ram Prasad from Friends of Lakes said, multiple reports such as those from Lakshman Rao, AT Ramaswamy and Koliwad Committee provide varying estimates of the number of lakes lost. He cautioned that this exercise should not stop at surveying and updating government records. While public works occupying government-owned water bodies such as the ISRO office, should be allowed to continue, all private encroachments must be cleared.