Lokayukta pulls up Ramanagara officials over lake pollution, seeks compliance report
The Karnataka Lokayukta has ordered officials in Ramanagara to stop the cremation of bodies on a village lake bund due to severe water pollution. The administration has been directed to finalize an alternative site for cremations and submit a compliance report by the next hearing.
Why it matters
It underscores the ongoing struggle between local administrative inaction and the urgent need for environmental protection and public health safety in rural India.
The Karnataka Lokayukta has directed the Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner and the Channapatna Tehsildar to take immediate steps to prevent the dumping into the lake and the cremation of bodies on the bund of a village lake, warning that continued pollution poses a serious public health risk.
The directions came while hearing a complaint filed by K.T. Sudarshan of Kondapura village in Channapatna taluk in 2023. The complainant alleged that a lake in Survey No. 54 of Hunasenahalli village had been encroached upon and that bodies were being cremated on the lake bund, with ash and other remains contaminating the water body used by nearby villages.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in