Indiscriminate River Sand Mining Affects Drinking Water Supply: Karnataka High Court Asks State To Monitor Rivers Via Satellite Imagery

The Karnataka High Court has asked the State government to implement a system which could give real time feedback on any changes, which occur to river banks and or sand bars in the State of Karnataka.

Justice Suraj Govindaraj has said “It is high time that the available technology is harnessed to address these kind of issues and the State of Karnataka implements a satellite based imagery system through the Department of Mines and Minerals and or such other departments like the Revenue Department, Forest Department etc., So that the boundaries of the rivers, Sand Bars and such other details are identified and marked on satellite maps and any change which occurs thereto, is notified to the concerned authorities to take necessary action.”

Emphasising the need for doing so the court said “This being all the more essential since unauthorised and indiscriminate river mining/sand mining has resulted in drying up of the rivers and in some cases causing the death of rivers. Thus, adversely affecting the drinking water supply of all human beings, which could result in severe consequences in the future.”

Accordingly it directed the Principal Secretary, Revenue Department along with the Director of Mines and Minerals, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, the Principal Secretary, e-Governance Department with necessary assistance from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) are directed to take into consideration the above and implement a system which could give a real time feedback on any changes.

The court gave the direction while allowing a petition filed by Bhagavant Alagur challenging the order of the Tashildar who created a charge on the property of the petitioner on the ground that 2904 metric tons of sand was stored without any permission.

The action was pursuant to the allegation that the said sand has been mined from the riverbed of the 'Krishna River' and the petitioner is indulging in business of selling the said mined river sand.

On enquiry made by the court with the government advocate about issuance or acceptance of service of notice, it was conceded there was no acknowledgement as such on the notice being served.

Following which the court said “When there is no acknowledgement, it cannot be presumed that there is a service of notice.”

As the notice and documents were served to the petitioner in court, it granted him one week's time to file its reply to the Tashildar. Accordingly it quashed the impugned order passed.

Appearance: Advocate Sachin C Angadi for Petitioner.

AGA V.S Kalasurmath for respondents

Citation No: 2025 LiveLaw (Kar) 83

Case Title: Bhagavant Alagur AND State of Karnataka & Others

Case No: WRIT PETITION NO. 100263 OF 2025

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