Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Basavanapura Kere

ಬಸವನಪುರ ಕೆರೆ

Kere, a large tank, in Krishnanagar ward, Bengaluru East

See it on the map
Size
9.39 acresAbout 5.3 football pitches
Rank by size
778th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Hebbal
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for irrigationTested Jul 2026
Built over
0.2% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 15% encroached.

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1904 to 1926, 1928 to 1977 and 1979 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1903 to 2026.

  1. 1903

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1927

    Not on the survey map

    See source

  3. 1978

    On the survey map

    See source

  4. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 40% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 54% is new water

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

    See sourceSee source

  5. 2017-2018

    In the water bodies census, not marked as encroached

    This census's status marks are often wrong

    See 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

    15% encroached, sewage, 14.2 acres surveyed

    See source

  8. 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

  9. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 79% open water
    • 4% floating weed
    • 17% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 92% open water
    • 6% floating weed
    • 1% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
9.39 acres

About 5.3 football pitches

See source
Land records
28.4 acres

About 16 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
14.2 acres

About 8 football pitches

See source
End to end
323 m

The longest straight line across the outline

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

How clean the water is

Latest test
Fit only for irrigation

Fit only for irrigation, cooling and waste disposal. Class E 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: 25 months. Fit only for irrigation: 11 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
Sewage
See source
What pollutes it, 2018

Sewage

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the south

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, phenolphthalein alkalinity, suspended solids

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C26
Dissolved oxygenmg/L1.7
pH6.5
ConductivityµS/cm1,140
BODmg/L30
Nitratemg/L as N4.3
Nitritemg/L as N0.59
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL84
Total coliformMPN/100mL1,600
Bicarbonatemg/L332
TurbidityNTU1.1
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3332
Chloridemg/L156
CODmg/L220
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N23
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N17
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3268
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3140
Calciummg/L56
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3128
Magnesiummg/L31.1
Sulphatemg/L49
Sodiummg/L115
Dissolved solidsmg/L768
Phosphatemg/L1.3
Potassiummg/L18
Fluoridemg/L0.31
Sodium share%44
Sodium adsorption ratio3.1
Orthophosphatemg/L3.6

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E1.730841,600See source
Jun 2026E3.2113901,700See source
May 2026D5.286301,400See source
Apr 2026D5.174003,500See source
Mar 2026E1.7363303,500See source
Feb 2026E5.354002,200See source
Jan 2026D5.4524430See source
Dec 2025D5.252302,400See source
Nov 2025E2.4262,20013,000See source
Oct 2025D6.143102,100See source
Sep 2025D4.272402,200See source
Aug 2025D5.643203,500See source
Jul 2025D5.672,2007,900See source
Jun 2025D4.483302,200See source
May 2025D4.9141,70011,000See source
Apr 2025D6.553102,800See source
Mar 2025D443203,500See source
Feb 2025D6.941302,400See source
Jan 2025D4.842605,400See source
Dec 2024D6.6643540See source
Nov 2024D5.551102,400See source
Oct 2024E3.2153202,200See source
Sep 2024E3.6182503,500See source
Aug 2024D4.351702,400See source
Jul 2024E2.2183,20014,000See source
Jun 2024E252,30,0004,60,000See source
May 2024E32032350See source
Apr 2024E3.4151,7009,400See source
Mar 2024D4.792,20024,000See source
Feb 2024D6.292,2007,900See source
Jan 2024D4.872,70013,000See source
Dec 2023D4.777005,400See source
Oct 2023D5.4623016,000See source
Sep 2023D5.444,80092,000See source
Aug 2023D4.865,80092,000See source
Jul 2023D5.567,90092,000See source

Inlet and outlet tests, 2017-18 lake survey

DateWhereWater temperature°CLight transparencycmpHConductivityµS/cmDissolved solidsmg/LSuspended solidsmg/LTurbidityNTUDissolved oxygenmg/LCODmg/LBODmg/LKjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as NTotal coliformMPN/100mL
2017-11-3025.737.796178036124.6686.6101,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.2%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
2.48 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Private owners, the public and government agencies

See source
Taken for

Compound wall, road & temple

See source
Where it is encroached

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

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage, construction debris, stone dump, agriculture waste & burned

See source
Other problems noted

Idol immersion

See source
Land record maps
See sourceSee source
Land within 500 m

76% built, 10% trees, 9% crops, 3% shrubs, 2% grass, 0.8% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

BBMP

See source
City work on the lake
To be developed
See source
City zone
Bommanahalli
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
Hebbal

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
  • K R Puram lake
See source
Overflows into

Shegehalli Kere

See source
Catchment
0.8 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rainfall & drain

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

1 inlet drain, no overflow weirs, 1 sluice gate, 1 culvert, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Washing and cattle feeding

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Sewage Treatment Plant

681 m away

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
31 species

Most seen: Common Myna, Great Egret, Gray Heron, Indian Pond-Heron and Rock Pigeon.

45 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
31 species

45 records, all in 2022

See source
Threatened species seen here
1
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds and butterflies

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Vacant land, college, temple & houses

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 11
Krishnanagar

ಕೃಷ್ಣನಗರ

Bengaluru East corporation, K.R. Pura assembly seat

See source
Village
Basavanapura

KR Puram hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

14

See source
Height above sea level
887 m
See source
Coordinates

13.0101° N, 77.7132° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
29
2018 lake survey
BUBEKRbsp_kr1-666
Lake Development Authority
LDA035
KGIS tank map
651
Water bodies census
2/12/002/253189/026024/001
City lake monitoring site
143