Karnataka to clear 41,849 lakes by December to boost groundwater: Minister Boseraju
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister for Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology N S Boseraju on Thursday said the state will give special priority to increasing groundwater levels by clearing encroachments on 41,849 lakes and filling them with water by December this year.
Speaking at the inaugural function of the 'Water is Future–Neeridare Naale' project, Boseraju said encroachments on more than 35,000 lakes have already been removed, with progress reviewed monthly.
A statement from the minister’s office said filling lakes in the H N Valley and K C Valley regions has led to a rise in groundwater levels.
Currently, 1,018 lakes are being filled annually, supplying water to 25 lakh acres through the Minor Irrigation Department. All lakes have been rejuvenated through local lake societies, it added.
The minister emphasised the importance of improving groundwater and said the Groundwater Department collects data every six hours from 2,714 locations across the state.
"Sixty per cent of agricultural activity in the state is carried out through borewells. Karnataka faces drought conditions every four to five years, and the impact of natural calamities has intensified. Karnataka is second in the country in rain‑fed agriculture and 10th in groundwater usage," he said.
Boseraju warned that excessive exploitation of groundwater in 44 taluks could lead to severe difficulties in the future.
He noted that over 8,000 minor irrigation projects were implemented during Siddaramaiah’s tenure to boost groundwater levels.
Kannada actor Vasishta Simha, named Ambassador for the Minor Irrigation Department, said, "Currently, people have to pay to purchase water for drinking and household use. A village thrives if it has a lake. We are facing a scarcity situation because of our negligence regarding water."
He stressed, "The greatest contribution we can make to future generations is not property but water conservation."
The 'Neeriddre Nale–Water is Future' initiative aims to secure the state’s future by conserving traditional water sources and boosting groundwater levels.
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Rajnath to top commanders: Outmaneuver adversaries with strategic surprise
Jaipur/New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday directed the top military commanders of the three services to integrate an "element of surprise" into modern warfare to outmaneuver India's adversaries and bolster strategic posture.
In his address at the joint commanders conference in Jaipur, Singh also described the Operation Sindoor as a testament to the "swift, precise, and joint response" of the Indian armed forces to safeguard national interests and called upon the military to remain ready to deal with any security challenges.
In their two-day deliberations, the commanders carried out a comprehensive review of the combat preparedness of the military in the wake of the evolving regional security situation.
Operation Sindoor was a demonstration of India's growing capabilities and a symbol of the nation's collective resolve and new military ethos, Singh said, a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
He also unveiled a 'Joint Doctrine for Integrated Communication Architecture' that is aimed at strengthening doctrinal clarity, interoperability and integrated communications across the armed forces in future multidomain operations.
The joint commanders' conference, themed 'Military Capability in New Domains', brought together the top leadership of the defence ministry and the three services to deliberate on emerging security challenges and future readiness.
Comprehensive deliberations were held on future warfare, multidomain operations, technological transformation and joint capability development.
The conference witnessed extensive discussions on cognitive warfare, cyber resilience against evolving quantum and AI-enabled threats, military capability development in emerging domains, indigenous innovation and AI-enabled warfighting concepts.
It was attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh among others.
In his remarks, Singh asked the commanders to remain "future-ready" by learning from the operation as well as the current global security landscape.
He underscored the need to strengthen capabilities in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, data analytics and secure communication networks to stay prepared in the rapidly evolving geopolitical security scenario. He emphasised that future conflicts will increasingly be shaped by hybrid threats, information dominance and operations conducted simultaneously across cyber, space, electromagnetic and cognitive domains, according to an official readout.
Highlighting the transformative impact of emerging technologies, Singh stressed on the importance of ensuring integrated national preparedness across all spectrums of conflict, it said.
Singh's remarks at the conference came a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
The defence minister appreciated the progress achieved in enhancing jointness, integration and technological adoption across the three services, the readout noted.
Singh said that jointness constitutes a pivotal dimension within the transformative changes sweeping across the global defence sector.
"Future wars will not be won solely through weaponry, but through innovative thinking and enhanced synergy," he said.
The defence minister exhorted the commanders to cultivate the "element of surprise" to remain unpredictable to the nation's adversaries and secure a strategic edge in any given situation.
He, however, urged them to remain vigilant of the element of surprise of the enemy and always stay two steps ahead.
Singh also reiterated the Narendra Modi government's commitment to enhancing the capabilities of the defence forces through state-of-the-art weapons and platforms. He added that special focus is being laid on research in niche domains.
During the conference, he released a documentary film on Operation Sindoor.
The film reaffirms the nation's and defence forces' commitment to operational preparedness and decisive national response capabilities.
Demonstrations of advanced systems and platforms developed for intelligence fusion, operational planning and information management were also showcased during the conference reflecting growing integration of cutting-edge technologies into joint operational structures, according to the defence ministry.
The discussions will contribute significantly towards shaping India's future military transformation and integrated operational preparedness, it said.
