Karnataka's Digital Land Surveillance Uncovers Widespread Encroachments
In a significant technological push to protect public land, Karnataka's revenue department has successfully verified more than 13.9 lakh government land parcels over the past two years. The department's Land Beat digital surveillance program has flagged encroachments on approximately 90,000 plots across the state, revealing substantial unauthorized occupation of public assets.
Rapid Verification Through Mobile Technology
The verification exercise gained remarkable momentum during 2024. Officials started with 27,380 parcels in March 2024 and accelerated their efforts dramatically. By July of that year, they had verified over 10.7 lakh parcels. The numbers continued climbing, surpassing 13 lakh by September 2024. As of December 2024, the verification count reached 13,94,519 parcels.
Village accountants and village administrative officers conducted these checks using geo-fenced mobile applications. The technology required officers to physically visit each land parcel, walk its boundaries, and upload photographs and short videos directly from the field. This system prevented data entry from offices, ensuring genuine on-ground verification.
Focus on Critical Public Assets
The department emphasized that this exercise focused on land resource management rather than revenue collection. Priority areas included lakes, community assets, high-value government land, and land designated for essential public purposes. Officials specifically targeted land needed for schools, hospitals, burial grounds, anganwadis, primary health centers, and electricity substations.
As part of this focused approach, authorities surveyed approximately 40,000 lakes across Karnataka. They mapped outer boundaries and identified encroachments systematically. Deputy commissioners received directives to conduct at least one special encroachment-removal drive each month.
Digital Transformation of Land Governance
Rajendra Kumar Kataria, principal secretary of the revenue department, explained the program's purpose. "The Land Beat system was designed to bring discipline through digital checks and balances," he stated. "It removes discretion from routine processes that previously depended heavily on manual intervention. Work pressure and multiple responsibilities often caused officials to lose track of monitoring these lands. That's precisely why we introduced this system."
Officials noted that many parcels showed varying degrees of intrusion, requiring additional survey and classification work. The findings underscore the urgent need for a system-driven overhaul of land governance in Karnataka. This area directly affects livelihoods, family assets, and public infrastructure development.
From Verification to Removal: The Next Phase
With verification now complete, the department has shifted focus to encroachment removal. Currently, this process operates offline, but officials are working to digitize the entire removal procedure. Plans include capturing geo-tagged photographs and videos during removal operations to improve transparency and prevent repeat encroachments.
A pilot project to digitize encroachments and removal processes has been underway in Chikkaballapur district for the past four to five months. This initiative represents the next step in creating a comprehensive digital land management system.
Addressing Root Causes and Future Plans
Officials identified weak surveillance as the primary cause of encroachments. Farmers often extend cultivation onto government land, while others use it for housing purposes. However, authorities warned that such occupation directly impacts the government's ability to plan and deliver essential public infrastructure.
"The government does not have infinite land," explained another revenue department official. "If public land gets encroached upon, it limits our ability to establish schools, hospitals, industries, and other essential infrastructure. We cannot keep acquiring land endlessly."
To sustain these reforms, the department is developing an annual land audit system. This comprehensive approach will map government, private, and granted land village-wise. Additionally, officials plan to strengthen digital delivery of orders through SMS, WhatsApp, and email to reduce harassment and litigation.
The reforms ultimately aim to restore public trust in land administration. By ensuring transparency, speed, and accountability, Karnataka hopes to transform a system that affects thousands of families across the state.
