Decision will be taken after probe, Karnataka CM on irregularities in MUDA land allotment
Bengaluru: Amid controversy over the alleged irregularities in the allotment of sites by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) under the 50:50 scheme for land losers, and investigation is underway to ascertain whether there is any misuse in any allotment of MUDA plots. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday stated that a decision on this will be taken after receiving a report from the team of senior IAS officers, who are investigating the matter.
He said, “An investigation is being carried out to find out whether there are any irregularities in the government body. All the plots have been put on hold. So there is no loss to the government. Those who have been allotted plots are being transferred and are being investigated by senior IAS officers.”
Responding to BJP’s allegations of misuse in MUDA land allocation and demand to transfer the case to CBI, the Chief Minister said, "Why are you saying to hand over everything to the CBI? Which case was handed over to the CBI when the BJP was in power. It was the BJP which made the law to allot land as an alternative for those who had given the land.”
ALSO READ: CM's wife "illegally" allotted alternative land in Mysuru, alleges BJP; Siddaramaiah denies charge
Furthermore, responding to Opposition leader R. Ashoka’s calls for the Chief Minister’s resignation, he stated, "I have no role in this case."
In addition, speaking about the Valmiki Corporation embezzlement case, he said the case has been handed over to the SIT and the investigation is going on. “Nagendra, the Minister for Tribal Affairs, has resigned. He has resigned because it was written in the corporation’s employee’s death note that the ministers had given a verbal order to the managing director for the embezzlement, the CBI has investigated the bank transactions.”
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Karnataka sees drop in groundwater use, surge in recharge capacity: 2025 report
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka has recorded a significant decline in groundwater usage alongside a notable increase in annual recharge capacity, reflecting the impact of sustained water conservation efforts and good rainfall, Minister N S Boseraju said on Wednesday.
Releasing the 2025 Groundwater Assessment Report at Vikas Soudha, he said the gains are the result of good rainfall, focused policy interventions, and large-scale water conservation initiatives implemented over the past two years under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
According to the report, overall groundwater extraction has reduced from 68.44 per cent in 2024 to 66.49 per cent in 2025, indicating more responsible and sustainable usage patterns across the state.
At the same time, annual groundwater recharge capacity has increased from 18.74 billion cubic metres (BCM) in 2024 to 19.28 BCM in 2025, while annual extractable groundwater resources rose from 16.88 BCM to 17.41 BCM, the minister’s office said in a statement.
“This simultaneous reduction in usage and increase in recharge reflects our government’s commitment to long-term water sustainability,” the Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology Minister said.
The improvement has been driven largely by the expansion of water conservation structures (WCS) across the state.
Recharge through such structures increased by 29.11 per cent, from 0.81 BCM to 1.04 BCM within a year, the report stated.
Notably, the number of water conservation works has risen sharply from 3.15 lakh in 2024 to 3.94 lakh in 2025, strengthening the state’s groundwater recharge ecosystem.
The report indicates improvement in groundwater status across 11 taluks, with several regions moving to safer categories.
Highlighting these changes, the minister pointed out that Chamarajanagar taluk has improved from "over-exploited" to "critical".
Similarly, taluks including Athani, Channapatna, Molakalmuru, Ranebennur, Savanur, and Shiggaon have successfully transitioned from "semi-critical" to "safe" status.
Domestic groundwater extraction has also declined by 0.58 per cent, dropping from 1,21,731 hectare-metres (ham) in 2024 to 1,21,023 ham in 2025. Officials attribute this to increased reliance on surface water under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Boseraju said that initiatives such as lake rejuvenation, year-round water supply through treated and surface water, sustained public awareness campaigns, and good rainfall have played a key role in reducing over-extraction and enhancing recharge.
“Instead of depending solely on the 120-day monsoon, we are ensuring water availability throughout all 365 days through scientific management. This has strengthened long-term water security for both farmers and urban residents,” he said.
Announcing a major technological step forward in future governance, the minister added, “To further safeguard our resources, we are rolling out the Digital Water Stack (DWS) initiative. Under this framework, we will soon initiate space technology and AI-based satellite surveillance to obtain real-time data for continuous groundwater monitoring.”
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