Media Release

Beltangady, Jul 24: The high court of Karnataka has issued direction to the deputy commissioner, Dakshina Kannada district to de-silt, repair and maintain Korambadukere tank, the public water tank situated in Savya village of Beltangady taluk.

Korambadukere is a several century old and large public water tank spreading in about two acres of land in Savya Village of Beltangady taluk and this tank has been feeding water to hundreds of hectares of agricultural land during summer. Rain water gets collected in this tank, helping the increase in the groundwater level of the entire village also. This tank has been helping the riparian agriculturists to grow two crops.

The government has failed to de-silt the tank bed since more than a decade, but the tahsildar’s office has been regularly collecting tax from the neighbouring agriculturists under the Irrigation Act for use of the water from Korambadukeres. On account of inaction of the government, public tank is filled with mud and its storage capacity has decreased and since some years there has been no flow of water from the tank during the summer and hence the agriculturists have stopped cultivating their lands.

Rajesh, son of Dharmaraj Hegde who owns agricultural lands near Korambadukere and several other villages had made several written requests to the government to remove the encroachment and to de-silt the tank bed and restore it to its original condition by repairing it. The local MLA had also requested the government to de-silt the tank, but the government had failed to take any action.

Therefore, Rajesh had filed a public interest petition before the high court of Karnataka, through his advocate P P Hegde, who argued that failure of the government to de-silt and repair the public water tank has resulted in deprivation of the right of the agriculturists to cultivate their land and to eke out their livelihood. Upholding these contentions, high court has issued direction to the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district to take steps to de-silt, repair and also to restore the said tank to its original condition by removing the encroachment within two months. The villagers have welcomed the verdict.