Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Arekere Lake

ಅರೆಕೆರೆ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Arekere Govt. lake

Kere, a large tank, in Arakere ward, Bengaluru South

See it on the map
Size
17.1 acresAbout 9.7 football pitches
Rank by size
516th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Mar 2026
Built over
0.1% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 4% encroached.
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1905 to 1944, 1946 to 1954, 1956 to 1979 and 1981 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1904 to 2026.

  1. 1904

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1945

    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. 1980

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water in 24 of 38 years

    Water in 6% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    2% of its water area has since gone dry; 39% is new water

    See sourceSee source

  6. 2017-2018

    In the water bodies census, not marked as encroached

    This census's status marks are often wrong

    See source

  7. 2017-2025

    No one cover holds over half of it 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

    4% encroached, polluted, 37.5 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 32 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Jul 2023 to Mar 2026

    See every testSee source

  10. 2024

    On the state's list of Bengaluru lakes, looked after by BBMP

    See source

  11. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon; mostly dry or built in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 84% open water
    • 14% floating weed
    • 3% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 0% open water
    • 0% floating weed
    • 100% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
17.1 acres

About 9.7 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
37.5 acres

About 21 football pitches

See source
End to end
452 m

The longest straight line across the outline

See source
Deepest point, 2018
4 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 Mar 2026

See source
Class each month, tested 32 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 24 months. Fit only for irrigation: 8 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
Polluted
See source
What pollutes it, 2018

Sewage & human defecation

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the south

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

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C29
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5.2
pH7.5
ConductivityµS/cm436
BODmg/L7
Nitratemg/L as N1.7
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL1,300
Total coliformMPN/100mL5,800
Bicarbonatemg/L128
TurbidityNTU6.8
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3128
Chloridemg/L48
CODmg/L68
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.44
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO396
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO356
Calciummg/L22.4
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO340
Magnesiummg/L5.4
Sulphatemg/L19
Sodiummg/L42
Dissolved solidsmg/L294
Potassiummg/L13
Fluoridemg/L0.36
Sodium share%46
Sodium adsorption ratio2
Orthophosphatemg/L0.22

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Mar 2026D5.271,3005,800See source
Feb 2026D5.66701,600See source
Jan 2026D6.143301,700See source
Dec 2025D6.254302,100See source
Nov 2025D5.852,3009,400See source
Oct 2025D5.372005,400See source
Sep 2025D4.862601,700See source
Aug 2025D6.441702,400See source
Jul 2025E123,20014,000See source
Jun 2025D4.582401,700See source
May 2025D5.952403,500See source
Apr 2025D5.962201,300See source
Mar 2025D4.784803,500See source
Feb 2025D4.651102,400See source
Jan 2025D5.2123102,800See source
Dec 2024D6.363103,500See source
Nov 2024D5.472,6009,400See source
Oct 2024E2.9301,7004,300See source
Sep 2024D4.851702,400See source
Aug 2024D5.754305,400See source
Jul 2024E2.5191,1004,900See source
Jun 2024E3.8161,70013,000See source
May 2024E3.2252603,500See source
Apr 2024D4.962,1009,400See source
Mar 2024E3.4123,30011,000See source
Feb 2024D4.1114003,500See source
Jan 2024E3.21449,0003,50,000See source
Dec 2023E3294,60035,000See source
Oct 2023D4.286,30054,000See source
Sep 2023D4.2117,9001,60,000See source
Aug 2023D5.7547016,000See source
Jul 2023D4.11148,0003,50,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Arakere Lake, LakeLowest254.66.87063.71.44905,400See source
2021Arakere Lake, LakeHighest256.87.998573.2915,0001,60,000See source

Inlet and outlet tests, 2017-18 lake survey

DateWhereWater temperature°CpHConductivityµS/cmDissolved solidsmg/LSuspended solidsmg/LTurbidityNTUDissolved oxygenmg/LCODmg/LBODmg/LTotal phosphateKjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as NTotal coliformMPN/100mL
2018-02-0619.77.176348028174.14024271,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.1%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached by

The public and government agencies

See source
Taken for

Houses & road

See source
Where it is encroached

On the south-east and north side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage dump

See source
Other problems noted

Under rejuvenation

See source
Land within 500 m

85% built, 12% trees, 2% crops, 1% grass

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

BBMP

See source
City lake page

Open its page on the city’s lake monitoring site

See source
Campaign pages
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

Madiwala Lake

See source
Catchment
2.3 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

3 inlet drains, no overflow weirs, no sluice gates, no culverts, no check dams and no islands

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Hulimavu 10MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

2.0 km away, treats 10 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
78 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Indian Pond-Heron, Rock Pigeon, Western Swamphen and Ashy Prinia.

1,969 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
87 species

1,978 records, 2010 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
1
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
32 times

29 species, 29 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Black Kite, Gray-headed Swamphen, Jungle Myna, Common Myna and Blyth's Reed Warbler.

Last seen Aug 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent, free floating and rooted floating

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Settlement & vacant land

See source
Surveyor's note, 2018

Mr. Vinaya Kumar, IFS (3.11.16)

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 58
Arakere

ಅರಕೆರೆ

Bengaluru South corporation, Bommanahalli assembly seat

See source
Village
Arekere

Begur hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

34

See source
Height above sea level
899 m
See source
Coordinates

12.8830° N, 77.5985° E

See source

Read more

Wikipedia

Arekere Lake is situated in the Arekere - Hulimavu area of the city of Bangalore. Originally spread over an area of approximately 37 acres (0.15 km2), the lake is bounded on the west by Bannerghatta Road, on the north by BDA Eighty Feet Road, on the east by Shantinikethan Layout and on the south by Hulimavu Main Road. According to the BBMP website, the perimeter of the lake is about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi). It was possibly a manmade water reservoir created approximately 100 years ago.

Read Arekere Lake on Wikipedia

See source
OpenStreetMap
See source
Wikidata

Q28154185

See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
95
2018 lake survey
BUBSBGark_kr1-1399
Lake Development Authority
LDA017
KGIS tank map
1000
Water bodies census
2/12/002/276600/1302865/003
City lake monitoring site
66