Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Agara Lake

ಅಗರ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Agara kere

Kere, a large tank, in HSR Layout ward, Bengaluru South

See it on the map
Size
76.8 acresAbout 44 football pitches
Rank by size
100th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta
Who looks after it
KLCDAKarnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
5% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 15% encroached.

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1946 to 1954, 1959 to 1979 and 1981 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1945 to 2026.

  1. 1945

    On the survey map

    See source

  2. 1955

    On the U.S. Army map

    Compiled from Survey of India maps of 1945-46

    See source

  3. 1958

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  4. 1980

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 25% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    5% of its water area has since gone dry; 40% is new water

    5 years not counted: the satellite saw under half the lake

    See sourceSee source

  6. 2003

    Restored

    See source

  7. 2017-2025

    Mostly water in most years

    About three in four of these readings are right, so trust what holds for several years

    See source

  8. 2018

    Still there in the 2018 lake survey

    15% encroached, clean, 143 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 36 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Jul 2023 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  10. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 76% open water
    • 19% floating weed
    • 6% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 75% open water
    • 14% floating weed
    • 11% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

The records disagree on its size, so each measure is shown.

Drawn outline
76.8 acres

About 44 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
143 acres

About 81 football pitches

See source
End to end
1.2 km

The longest straight line across the outline

See source
Deepest point, 2018
5 m
See source
Kind of lake
Kere, a large tank
See source

How clean the water is

Latest test
Fit only for wildlife and fish

Fit only for wildlife and fisheries. Class D on the state board’s scale from A, the cleanest, to E.

Tested Jul 2026

See source
Class each month, tested 36 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 33 months. Fit only for irrigation: 3 months. Every month is listed in the readings below.
Drinkable after disinfection
Fit for bathing
Drinkable after treatment
Fit only for wildlife and fish
Fit only for irrigation
See source
How it looked in 2018
Clean
See source
Older tests
2 readings

From 2021

See source
Inlet and outlet tests, 2017-18
1 readings
See source
Every reading
Show every reading

Latest test, Jul 2026. Too low to measure: boron, carbonate, nitrite, phenolphthalein alkalinity, phosphate, kjeldahl nitrogen, suspended solids

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C25
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5.4
pH7.6
ConductivityµS/cm926
BODmg/L7
Nitratemg/L as N3.4
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL460
Total coliformMPN/100mL3,500
Bicarbonatemg/L312
TurbidityNTU5.3
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3312
Chloridemg/L128
CODmg/L76
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.58
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3236
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3120
Calciummg/L48
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3116
Magnesiummg/L28.2
Sulphatemg/L67
Sodiummg/L94
Dissolved solidsmg/L638
Potassiummg/L10
Fluoridemg/L0.42
Sodium share%45
Sodium adsorption ratio2.6
Orthophosphatemg/L0.31

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D5.474603,500See source
Jun 2026D5.243302,400See source
May 2026D5.263402,400See source
Apr 2026D5.172402,200See source
Mar 2026D5.464001,700See source
Feb 2026D5.853302,800See source
Jan 2026D7.144305,400See source
Dec 2025D6.943303,500See source
Nov 2025D6.243305,400See source
Oct 2025D4.566302,200See source
Sep 2025D6.241102,400See source
Aug 2025D66230240See source
Jul 2025D5.862102,800See source
Jun 2025D4.582401,700See source
May 2025D4.853104,300See source
Apr 2025E3.593102,200See source
Mar 2025D4.4186.8240See source
Feb 2025D5.8720110See source
Jan 2025D5.391402,200See source
Dec 2024D7.342602,800See source
Nov 2024D5.752403,500See source
Oct 2024D6.571703,500See source
Sep 2024D4.852,400170See source
Aug 2024E2.23623920See source
Jul 2024D672601,400See source
Jun 2024D4.851402,400See source
May 2024D6.246.8240See source
Apr 2024D5.371,5004,800See source
Mar 2024E3.4142302,400See source
Feb 2024D576305,400See source
Jan 2024D6.392,70013,000See source
Dec 2023D5.3570016,000See source
Oct 2023D4.192,20024,000See source
Sep 2023D6.7433016,000See source
Aug 2023D4.462,20024,000See source
Jul 2023D6.344,90092,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Agaram Lake, LakeLowest251.96.532441.53,30024,000See source
2021Agaram Lake, LakeHighest2577.71,268225.71,50,00016,00,000See source

Inlet and outlet tests, 2017-18 lake survey

DateWhereWater temperature°CLight transparencycmpHConductivityµS/cmDissolved solidsmg/LSuspended solidsmg/LTurbidityNTUDissolved oxygenmg/LCODmg/LBODmg/LTotal phosphateKjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as NTotal coliformMPN/100mL
2018-01-0923.2557.39266601494.43262251,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
5%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
34.7 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

BDA

See source
Taken for

Houses & road

See source
Where it is encroached

On the south, west, east and north-east side

See source
Dumped in it

Construction debris, garbage dump

See source
Other problems noted

RTC- Sy no 11 Hissa of Venkojiraokhane is in name of BDA

See source
Land within 500 m

68% built, 23% trees, 5% crops, 2% shrubs, 1% water, 0.8% grass

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority

KLCDA

See source
City lake page

Open its page on the city’s lake monitoring site

See source

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Bellandur Lake

See source
Catchment
77.6 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain fed

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

No inlet drains, 1 overflow weir, 1 sluice gate, 2 culverts, no check dams and 1 island

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Agaram 35MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

504 m away, treats 35 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
141 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Brahminy Kite, Indian Pond-Heron, Little Cormorant and Little Egret.

10,481 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
204 species

10,605 records, 2007 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
6
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • River Tern vulnerable
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • Greater spotted eagle vulnerable
  • Egyptian Vulture endangered
  • Indian Rosewood vulnerable
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
410 times

143 species, 278 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Indian Pond-Heron, Brahminy Kite, Little Cormorant, Coromandel Marsh Dart and Gray-headed Swamphen.

Last seen Aug 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Fish and birds

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent, free floating and rooted floating

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Settlement

See source

Photos

Agara Lake, photographed in 2024
Goyaldevender / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Agara Lake, photographed in 2024
Goyaldevender / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Agara Lake, photographed in 2024
Goyaldevender / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Agara Lake, photographed in 2015
Ashwin06k / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2015
Agara Lake, photographed in 2015
Ashwin06k / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2015
Agara Lake, photographed in 2015
Ashwin06k / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2015
Agara Lake, photographed in 2016
Ashwin Kumar from Bangalore, India / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2016
Agara Lake, photographed in 2024
Goyaldevender / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Agara Lake, photographed in 2016
prashanthns / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2016

Where it is

Ward 72
HSR Layout

ಎಚ್‌ಎಸ್‌ಆರ್ ಲೇಔಟ್

Bengaluru South corporation, Bommanahalli assembly seat

See source
Village
Venkojirao Kere

Begur hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

11 (Venkojirao kere), 11 (Agara)

See source
Height above sea level
880 m
See source
Coordinates

12.9208° N, 77.6410° E

See source

Read more

Wikipedia

Agara lake is an 80-acre lake located in Agara, Bangalore. It is part of the Varthur lake series. Madiwala Lake is upstream while Bellandur Lake is downstream. Inter-lake connections have seen fragmentation and urbanisation.

Read Agara Lake on Wikipedia

See source
OpenStreetMap
See source
Wikimedia Commons

See every photo of it

See source
Wikidata

Q28824239

See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
92
2018 lake survey
BUBSBGvkk_kr1-1507
Lake Development Authority
LDA003
KGIS tank map
952
City lake monitoring site
86