Officials have reclaimed 16 guntas of government land allegedly encroached upon at Virupaksha Jaddu Lake in Honnesara village, Shivamogga district, after Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Eshwar B Khandre directed authorities to act within seven days. The operation followed complaints from residents who had been protesting the encroachment since 2022.
The lake is located within the limits of Heggodu gram panchayat in Anandapura hobli of Sagara taluk. According to the report, the waterbody covers 2 acres and 11 guntas, of which a survey identified 16 guntas as having been illegally occupied in the name of Shramajeevi Ashram.
The reclamation was carried out on Monday by the local panchayat development officer and revenue staff using earthmovers. The operation was led by Heggodu gram panchayat PDO Girish and village accountant Bhavya, with police protection. The officials cleared the identified portion and restored it to government control.
Khandre received the residents’ complaint during a recent visit to Shivamogga. He then instructed officials to inspect the site and remove the encroachment in accordance with High Court directives on lake conservation and the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority Act, 2014. The minister’s order set a seven-day timeframe for the action.
The case highlights the role of gram panchayats and revenue officials in protecting rural waterbodies, where land records, surveys and enforcement determine whether public lake boundaries remain intact. In this instance, residents’ complaints had continued for several years before the ministerial intervention led to an on-ground operation.
A separate lake clearance in Shivamogga district has also triggered a political confrontation. In Tevarateppa in Anavatti hobli of Soraba taluk, officials reclaimed lake land while removing illegal arecanut plantations. The action followed a notice from the Karnataka Lokayukta based on complaints from local residents.
The Tevarateppa operation drew opposition from senior BJP leaders, including Shivamogga MP BY Raghavendra and former MLA Harthalu Halappa. They led public protests against the clearance drive on Tuesday, turning the enforcement action into a political dispute over the removal of plantations and the reclamation of lake land.
