Criminal cases will be filed against encroachers of gram panchayat lakes: Karnataka Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar Khandre

Minister Eshwar Khandre says that encroachments have already been cleared from 6,670 lakes, but remain on 4,828 lakes covering 11,671 acres. | Photo Credit: File photo Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister Eshwar Khandre has warned that any encroachment on lakes belonging to and maintained by gram panchayats will be cleared and criminal cases will be filed against encroachers.Speaking to reporters on Friday (September 4), Mr. Khandre said that in Karnataka, there are 32,504 lakes which fall under the jurisdiction of gram panchayats, of which 11,498 lakes had been encroached upon.He said that encroachments have already been cleared from 6,670 lakes, but remain on 4,828 lakes covering 11,671 acres.Two-day summitMr. Khandre, who recently participated in a two-day summit on sustainable water management organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in New Delhi, said that it is a major challenge to provide drinking water to rural areas as Karnataka is the second-most drought-prone State in the country, and that groundwater levels are declining by the day.“The presence of rocks and laterite deposits is preventing rainwater from percolating into the soil and has contributed to declining groundwater levels in the State. Excessive extraction of groundwater has also contributed to depletion of the underground water table. In such a situation, surface water sources will be the main lifeline in the coming days, and hence lakes, tanks, reservoirs and rivers should be protected or else there will be severe water scarcity in the State,” he said.He also said that during the summit, he called for the formulation of a national plan to protect the water bodies from pollution due to waste addition and encroachment.Water budgetingThe Minister added that Karnataka is the first State in the country to undertake water budgeting to help assess the quantity of water available in a specific geographical area, along with the current and future demand for water.“This has enabled the government to prepare a scientific and systematic plan for balanced water supply,” the Minister added.He also said that the State has implemented a continuous drinking water supply scheme in 268 villages of the State, which has resulted in saving 7% of drinking water. Published - September 04, 2026 07:17 pm IST