Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Bellandur Lake

ಬೆಳ್ಳಂದೂರು ಕೆರೆ

Also called Bellandur Amanikere, Bellandur Tank

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

See it on the map
Size
811 acresAbout 460 football pitches
Rank by size
3rd largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta
Who looks after it
BDABangalore Development Authority
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
0.1% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 2% 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 every year

    Water in 22% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    16% of its water area has since gone dry; 18% 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. 1986

    Listed among green belt tanks by the Lakshman Rau committee

    Printed as Amanikere, Belandur, tank 301

    360 ha, as printed in the 1986 report

    Among the tanks between Madras Road and Hosur Road, Bangalore South taluk

    See source

  7. 2017-2025

    Mostly plants or weed every year

    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

  8. 2018

    Still there in the 2018 lake survey

    2% encroached, polluted, 920 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 floating weed after the monsoon; mostly dry or built in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 20% open water
    • 66% floating weed
    • 14% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 7% open water
    • 28% floating weed
    • 65% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
811 acres

About 460 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
920 acres

About 521 football pitches

See source
End to end
4.3 km

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 36 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 23 months. Fit only for irrigation: 13 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 north-west and west

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, phenolphthalein alkalinity, phosphate, kjeldahl nitrogen, suspended solids

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C24
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5
pH7.2
ConductivityµS/cm711
BODmg/L10
Nitratemg/L as N2.7
Nitritemg/L as N0.67
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL700
Total coliformMPN/100mL2,800
Bicarbonatemg/L132
TurbidityNTU3
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3132
Chloridemg/L156
CODmg/L92
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.96
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3136
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO368
Calciummg/L27.2
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO368
Magnesiummg/L16.5
Sulphatemg/L20
Sodiummg/L72
Dissolved solidsmg/L488
Potassiummg/L7
Fluoridemg/L0.38
Sodium share%52
Sodium adsorption ratio2.7
Orthophosphatemg/L0.29

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D5107002,800See source
Jun 2026E2.6327005,400See source
May 2026D5.554603,500See source
Apr 2026D5.763303,500See source
Mar 2026D5.464903,500See source
Feb 2026D642401,400See source
Jan 2026D6.363302,800See source
Dec 2025D5.973402,400See source
Nov 2025E2.4302601,500See source
Oct 2025D5.782102,800See source
Sep 2025D652002,800See source
Aug 2025D672101,500See source
Jul 2025D5.182002,200See source
Jun 2025D653102,800See source
May 2025D5.55431,600See source
Apr 2025E2.991702,200See source
Mar 2025D643,90021,000See source
Feb 2025E3.2202102,200See source
Jan 2025D6.541,2007,900See source
Dec 2024D5.741,70012,000See source
Nov 2024D572202,400See source
Oct 2024D6.251,4007,900See source
Sep 2024D542105,400See source
Aug 2024E3.32911350See source
Jul 2024D5.972,1009,400See source
Jun 2024E6.2515540See source
May 2024D4.1617,00049,000See source
Apr 2024E277,80023,000See source
Mar 2024D4.482,20013,000See source
Feb 2024E7401,600See source
Jan 2024E2.6201,40,0002,10,000See source
Dec 2023D4.272,20024,000See source
Oct 2023E1.9513,40,00024,00,000See source
Sep 2023E12933,00,0002,40,00,000See source
Aug 2023E183,30035,000See source
Jul 2023E20226,00,0003,50,00,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Bellandur Lake, LakeLowest250.36.51,035181.12,30024,000See source
2021Bellandur Lake, LakeHighest252.86.91,1878751,20,00,00,0009,20,00,00,000See 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/100mLSewage inflow
2017-12-04Inlet27.271,22088034283.814016.82221,6003.132
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.1%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
18.0 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Farmers and government agencies

See source
Taken for

Agriculture & road

See source
Where it is encroached

On the south and east side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage, construction debris & agriculture waste

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

40% trees, 33% built, 13% shrubs, 11% crops, 2% grass, 0.8% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Bangalore Development Authority

BDA

See source
Residents' groups
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

Varthur Lake

See source
Catchment
152.3 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

6 inlet drains, 2 overflow weirs, no sluice gates, no culverts, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Cattle feeding, boating and washing

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

K&C Valley 218MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

927 m away, treats 218 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
112 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Brahminy Kite, Common Myna, Indian Pond-Heron and Jungle Myna.

1,137 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
130 species

1,157 records, 1984 to 2025

See source
Threatened species seen here
3
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • River Tern vulnerable
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
63 times

44 species, 43 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Paddyfield Pipit, Western Marsh Harrier, Barn Swallow, Yellow Orange Tip and Yellow Pansy.

Last seen Jan 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Fish, birds, butterflies and dragonflies

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent and free floating

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Apartment, houses, coconut & eucalyptus plantation, NAL, STP

See source

Photos

Bellandur Lake, photographed in 2017
Ashwin Kumar / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2017
Bellandur Lake, photographed in 2015
Ashwin Kumar from Bangalore, India / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2015
Bellandur Lake, photographed in 2010
Wyrnilla / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010
Bellandur Lake, photographed in 2010
Wyrnilla / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010
Bellandur Lake, photographed in 2018
Ashwin Kumar / CC BY-SA 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2018
Bellandur Lake, photographed in 2010
Amol.Gaitonde / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010
Bellandur Lake, photographed in 2016
Subhashish Panigrahi / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2016
Bellandur Lake, photographed in 2010
Avoid_simple2 ( talk ) ( Uploads ) / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010
Bellandur Lake, photographed in 2010
Sandip Bhattacharya / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010

Where it is

Ward 46
Yamalur

ಯಮಲೂರು

Bengaluru East corporation, Mahadevapura assembly seat

See source
Village
Bellandur Amanikere

Varthuru hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

43 (Agara), 1 (Bellandur Amanikere), 62 (Yamaluru), 12 (Ibbalur), 6 (Kempapura), 2 (Beluru)

See source
Height above sea level
879 m
See source
Coordinates

12.9360° N, 77.6670° E

See source

Read more

Wikipedia

Bellandur Lake is located in the suburb of Bellandur in the southeast of the city of Bengaluru. It is the largest lake in the city. It is a part of Bellandur drainage system that drains the southern and the south-eastern parts of the city. The lake is a receptor from three chains of lakes upstream, and has a catchment area of about 148 square kilometres. Water from this lake flows further east to the Varthur Lake, from where it flows down the plateau and eventually into the Pinakani river basin.

Read Bellandur Lake on Wikipedia

See source
Kannada Wikipedia

ಬೆಳ್ಳಂದೊರು ಕೆರೆ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ನಗರದ ಆಗ್ನೇಯ ಭಾಗದಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಇದು ಈ ನಗರದ ಎಲ್ಲದಕ್ಕಿಂತ ದೊಡ್ಡ ಕೆರೆ.

ಬೆಳ್ಳಂದೊರು ಕೆರೆ

See source
OpenStreetMap
See source
Wikimedia Commons

See every photo of it

See source
Wikidata

Q4883488

See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
103
2018 lake survey
BUBEVRbda_kr1-510
Lake Development Authority
LDA040
KGIS tank map
644