Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

B. Channasandra Lake

ಬೆನ್ನಿಗಾನಹಳ್ಳಿ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Banaswadi Kere-1, Benniganahalli Kere, Benniganahalli Lake

Kere, a large tank, in K.S. Nissar Ahmed Ward ward, Bengaluru East

See it on the map
Size
21.8 acresAbout 12 football pitches
Rank by size
416th 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 Jul 2026
Built over
4% 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

    Not 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 most years

    Water in 15% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0.8% of its water area has since gone dry; 35% 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 water in most years

    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

    4% encroached, polluted, 46.0 acres surveyed

    See source

  8. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 35 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Aug 2023 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  9. 2024

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

    See source

  10. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 52% open water
    • 34% floating weed
    • 15% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 52% open water
    • 27% floating weed
    • 21% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
21.8 acres

About 12 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
46.0 acres

About 26 football pitches

See source
End to end
525 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 Jul 2026

See source
Class each month, tested 35 times since Aug 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 27 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

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the north, east and north-west

See source
Older tests
2 readings

From 2021

See source
Every reading
Show every reading

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

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C25
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5.2
pH6.9
ConductivityµS/cm1,118
BODmg/L7
Nitratemg/L as N3.9
Nitritemg/L as N0.57
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL340
Total coliformMPN/100mL2,400
Bicarbonatemg/L244
TurbidityNTU7
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3244
Chloridemg/L140
CODmg/L68
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.56
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3232
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3124
Calciummg/L49.6
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3108
Magnesiummg/L26.3
Sulphatemg/L79
Sodiummg/L102
Dissolved solidsmg/L752
Phosphatemg/L2.5
Potassiummg/L15
Fluoridemg/L0.36
Sodium share%47
Sodium adsorption ratio2.9
Orthophosphatemg/L7

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D5.273402,400See source
Jun 2026E1.9134305,400See source
May 2026D5.563,1008,400See source
Apr 2026D5.462402,100See source
Mar 2026E1.8352301,200See source
Feb 2026E2.3124605,400See source
Jan 2026D5.363303,500See source
Dec 2025D5.462302,400See source
Nov 2025D6.143301,700See source
Oct 2025D4.673105,400See source
Sep 2025D4.652603,500See source
Aug 2025E643202,800See source
Jul 2025D5.954303,500See source
Jun 2025E123103,500See source
May 2025D4.8151,20013,000See source
Apr 2025D661,7004,800See source
Mar 2025E4.141,7002,100See source
Feb 2025D6.271,7004,900See source
Jan 2025D5.153202,200See source
Dec 2024D642103,500See source
Nov 2024D6.842002,800See source
Oct 2024D4.881703,500See source
Sep 2024D4.391,1007,900See source
Aug 2024E3.1142103,500See source
Jul 2024D5.87251,600See source
Jun 2024E3.517201,600See source
May 2024D4.852602,800See source
Apr 2024D5.761,1004,600See source
Mar 2024D6.245803,500See source
Feb 2024D642,70013,000See source
Jan 2024D5.86.81,30,0004,60,000See source
Dec 2023D4.544,3001,60,000See source
Oct 2023D4.8748016,000See source
Sep 2023D4.4102,10035,000See source
Aug 2023D4.9470016,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Beenniganahalli Tank, TankLowest250.56.630430.733,30024,000See source
2021Beenniganahalli Tank, TankHighest2577.91,079242.770,00016,00,000See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
4%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
13.5 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Central Govern and private owners

See source
Taken for

Railway track & houses

See source
Where it is encroached

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

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage & burned waste

See source
Land within 500 m

83% built, 11% trees, 4% shrubs, 0.9% crops

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
Residents' groups
See source

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Overflows into

Kaggadasapura Lake

See source
Catchment
1.8 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rainfall & drain

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

7 inlet drains, 1 overflow weir and 3 culverts

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Cattle feeding

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Kaggadasapura STP

1.7 km away

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
58 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Indian Pond-Heron, Rock Pigeon, Rose-ringed Parakeet and Little Egret.

372 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
62 species

376 records, 2014 to 2025

See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
2 times

2 species, 2 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Oriental Darter and Striped Albatross.

Last seen Jul 2025

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds and butterflies

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent and submerged

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Complete

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Industrial area & ring road

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 19
K.S. Nissar Ahmed Ward

ಕೆ. ಎಸ್. ನಿಸಾರ್ ಅಹಮದ್ ವಾರ್ಡ್

Bengaluru East corporation, K.R. Pura assembly seat

See source
Village
Benniganahalli/ Bendiganahalli

KR Puram hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

47, 55

See source
Height above sea level
874 m
See source
Coordinates

12.9980° N, 77.6651° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
97
2018 lake survey
BUBEKRbgn_kr1-668
Lake Development Authority
LDA028
KGIS tank map
771
City lake monitoring site
167