In a strong push to protect Jharkhand’s depleting water resources, the Jharkhand High Court on Thursday directed senior state government officials and the Ranchi Municipal Corporation to immediately remove encroachments around key water bodies and convert surrounding areas into ‘no-entry zones’.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad issued the directives while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Khushbu Kataruka concerning rampant encroachment around Ranchi Lake, also known as Swami Vivekanand Sarovar or ‘Bada Talab’.
The court directed the secretaries of the water resources and urban development departments, the Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi, and the Ranchi Municipal Corporation administrator to take swift action. The bench ordered the installation of barbed wire fencing around all water bodies to prevent further encroachments.
The court had earlier summoned these officials to appear in person and had expressed concern over the unchecked occupation of catchment areas across the state. During Thursday’s hearing, the court was informed that several acres of land near Kanke and Dhurwa dams in Ranchi have been illegally occupied, with touts allegedly selling land and allowing the construction of multi-storied buildings. As a result, the natural water inflow into the reservoirs has been disrupted.
Terming the situation “alarming,” the court instructed the state to file a detailed affidavit by the next hearing on August 22, outlining concrete steps taken to reclaim and secure the catchment zones.
The PIL highlighted the deteriorating condition of Ranchi Lake, which lies in the heart of the capital. Once a major source of water and a key landmark, the lake has been neglected by municipal authorities, leading to siltation, pollution, and shrinking water levels.
The High Court’s intervention comes at a critical time when urbanisation and administrative apathy are increasingly threatening the ecological balance of Jharkhand’s water bodies.
The matter is set to be heard again on August 22.
