Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Alur Kere

Also called Alur Lake

Kere, a large tank, in Alur village, Bengaluru North taluk

See it on the map
Size
60.0 acresAbout 34 football pitches
Rank by size
141st largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Arkavathi
Who looks after it
MIMinor Irrigation Department
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Apr 2026
Built over
0% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 2% encroached.

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1874 to 1913, 1915 to 1954, 1956 to 1973 and 1975 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1873 to 2026.

  1. 1873

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1914

    On the survey map

    See source

  3. 1955

    On the U.S. Army map

    Compiled from Survey of India maps of 1945-46

    See source

  4. 1974

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 8% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    8% of its water area has since gone dry; 22% is new water

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

    Floating weed looks like dry land to this record, so a weed-covered year can read as dry

    See sourceSee source

  6. 2017-2025

    Mostly plants or weed in most years

    Floating weed shows as crops or grass here, not as water

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

    See source

  7. 2018

    Still there in the 2018 lake survey

    2% encroached, clean, 76.5 acres surveyed

    See source

  8. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 30 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Jul 2023 to Apr 2026

    See every testSee source

  9. 2025-2026

    Part dry or built, part floating weed after the monsoon; mostly dry or built in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 29% open water
    • 34% floating weed
    • 37% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 0.3% open water
    • 1% floating weed
    • 99% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
60.0 acres

About 34 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
76.5 acres

About 43 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 Apr 2026

See source
Class each month, tested 30 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 28 months. Fit only for irrigation: 2 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
What pollutes it, 2018

Agriculture runoff

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, Apr 2026. Too low to measure: boron, cadmium, carbonate, copper, fluoride, lead, nitrite, orthophosphate, phenolphthalein alkalinity, phosphate, kjeldahl nitrogen, suspended solids

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C35
Dissolved oxygenmg/L4.5
pH6.9
ConductivityµS/cm639
BODmg/L7
Nitratemg/L as N2.4
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL84
Total coliformMPN/100mL1,600
Bicarbonatemg/L132
TurbidityNTU5.1
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3132
Chloridemg/L92
CODmg/L76
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.58
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3160
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO384
Calciummg/L33.6
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO376
Magnesiummg/L18.48
Sulphatemg/L29
Sodiummg/L62
Dissolved solidsmg/L438
Potassiummg/L12
Sodium share%43
Sodium adsorption ratio2.13
Chromiummg/L0.017
Nickelmg/L0.015
Zincmg/L0.105
Ironmg/L0.271
Manganesemg/L0.089

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Apr 2026D4.57841,600See source
Mar 2026D4.682,3008,400See source
Feb 2026D6.542401,700See source
Jan 2026D5.554604,300See source
Dec 2025D5.956304,300See source
Nov 2025D5.942302,400See source
Oct 2025D6.142302,400See source
Sep 2025D641501,700See source
Aug 2025D5.954903,500See source
Jul 2025D5.653202,200See source
Jun 2025E3.281,40011,000See source
May 2025E3.66241,600See source
Apr 2025D6.9494540See source
Mar 2025D6.742101,700See source
Feb 2025D7.641403,500See source
Jan 2025D7.141102,400See source
Dec 2024D5.172602,200See source
Nov 2024D7426920See source
Oct 2024D5.292605,400See source
Sep 2024D5.362402,200See source
Aug 2024D6.541,4007,000See source
Jul 2024D4.683,20014,000See source
Jun 2024D5.751,10013,000See source
May 2024D4.643,2009,400See source
Feb 2024D6.343,90014,000See source
Jan 2024D6.444,60011,000See source
Dec 2023D4.21146016,000See source
Oct 2023D6.143109,200See source
Aug 2023D5.5747016,000See source
Jul 2023D6.143,1001,60,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Alur Kere, TankLowest254.26.58930.33,30035,000See source
2021Alur Kere, TankHighest256.97.367816249,0002,40,000See 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
2017-11-2327.5457.210854198.34.8163.80.1141,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
0.25 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Farmers

See source
Taken for

Agriculture & layout

See source
Where it is encroached

On the west, east and south-west side

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

65% crops, 18% trees, 14% shrubs, 2% grass, 1% built

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Minor Irrigation Department

MI

See source

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Arkavathi

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Arkavathi River

See source
Catchment
35.7 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain fed

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

1 inlet drain, 1 overflow weir, 1 sluice gate, no culverts and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Irrigation and cattle feeding

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
47 species

Most seen: Little Egret, Brahminy Kite, Black Kite, Little Grebe and Eurasian Coot.

63 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
47 species

63 records, 2014 to 2024

See source
Threatened species seen here
1
  • River Tern vulnerable
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
2 times

2 species, 2 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Indian Roller and Rose-ringed Parakeet.

Last seen Jul 2025

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Agriculture, plantation, layout

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Greater Bengaluru
Outside the city limits
See source
Village
Alur

Dasanapura hobli, Bengaluru North taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

132 (Alur), 8 (Vaderahalli), 41, 42 (Narsipura), 25 (Mathahalli)

See source
Height above sea level
856 m
See source
Coordinates

13.0976° N, 77.4588° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
281
2018 lake survey
BUBNDPalu_kr1-455
Lake Development Authority
LDA011
KGIS tank map
1127