Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Byrasandra Kere

ಬೈರಸಂದ್ರ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Byrasandra Lake

Kere, a large tank, in BHEL Ward ward, Bengaluru Central

See it on the map
Size
9.61 acresAbout 5.4 football pitches
Rank by size
762nd largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta
Who looks after it
BDABangalore Development Authority
Water quality
Fit only for irrigationTested Jul 2026
Built over
26% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 8% encroached.
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1903 to 1944, 1946 to 1979 and 1981 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1902 to 2026.

  1. 1902

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1945

    On the survey map

    See source

  3. 1980

    On the survey map

    See source

  4. 1984-2021

    Held water in 7 of 38 years

    Water in 4% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 30% is new water

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

    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 built on or bare every year

    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

    8% encroached, clean, 15.3 acres surveyed

    Restored, year not recorded

    See source

  8. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 35 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; part open water, part floating weed in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 59% open water
    • 24% floating weed
    • 17% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 49% open water
    • 30% floating weed
    • 22% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
9.61 acres

About 5.4 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
15.3 acres

About 8.7 football pitches

See source
End to end
266 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 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 35 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 25 months. Fit only for irrigation: 10 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
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, fluoride, phenolphthalein alkalinity

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C28
Dissolved oxygenmg/L3.1
pH7.1
ConductivityµS/cm665
BODmg/L19
Nitratemg/L as N2.5
Nitritemg/L as N0.7
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL1,300
Total coliformMPN/100mL5,400
Bicarbonatemg/L276
TurbidityNTU24.3
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3276
Chloridemg/L76
CODmg/L128
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N6.5
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N5
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3208
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3108
Calciummg/L43.2
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3100
Magnesiummg/L24.3
Sulphatemg/L42
Sodiummg/L66
Dissolved solidsmg/L470
Suspended solidsmg/L30
Phosphatemg/L0.43
Potassiummg/L6
Sodium share%40
Sodium adsorption ratio2
Orthophosphatemg/L1

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E3.1191,3005,400See source
Jun 2026D4.587005,400See source
May 2026E2.8136305,400See source
Apr 2026E2278404,300See source
Mar 2026D5.252309,200See source
Feb 2026D5.254002,200See source
Jan 2026E3.2182,10011,000See source
Dec 2025D4.863304,300See source
Nov 2025D5.672603,500See source
Oct 2025E3.2184004,300See source
Sep 2025D4.893101,700See source
Aug 2025E572104,300See source
Jul 2025D4.672603,500See source
Jun 2025D5.972103,500See source
May 2025E1.1422,60011,000See source
Apr 2025D553,10017,000See source
Mar 2025D5.565,80035,000See source
Feb 2025D6.854002,400See source
Jan 2025D5.4102103,500See source
Dec 2024D6.343,20017,000See source
Nov 2024D6.142603,500See source
Oct 2024E5.464004,300See source
Sep 2024D4.841,4004,600See source
Aug 2024D4.292,60011,000See source
Jul 2024D5.562105,400See source
Jun 2024E2.9182103,500See source
May 2024D6.26.33,2009,400See source
Apr 2024D4.773203,500See source
Mar 2024D5.463,10017,000See source
Feb 2024D4.8821,00046,000See source
Jan 2024D5.553,30024,000See source
Dec 2023E3.1167,00092,000See source
Oct 2023D5.174,30092,000See source
Sep 2023D5.464,90092,000See source
Jul 2023D444,70054,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Byrasandra Tank, TankLowest253.26.527430.944,80035,000See source
2021Byrasandra Tank, TankHighest25.16.27.71,223144.31,50,00016,00,000See 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
2018-02-0923.5507.7605428155.63.92160.361.68.41,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
26%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
3.10 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

The public and BDA

See source
Taken for

Graveyard & houses

See source
Where it is encroached

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

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage

See source
Other problems noted

RTC- 4.35 a-g is acquired for BDA

See source
Land within 500 m

75% built, 24% trees, 1% crops, 0.5% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Bangalore Development Authority

BDA

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
Overflows into

Tavarekere Lake

See source
Catchment
1.4 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain fed

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

1 inlet drain, 1 overflow weir, no sluice gates, 1 culvert, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Fishing

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Sewage Treatment Plant

1.4 km away

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
54 species

Most seen: Black Kite, House Crow, Rock Pigeon, Indian Pond-Heron and House Sparrow.

982 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
74 species

1,011 records, 2015 to 2026

See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
60 times

28 species, 34 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Paper mulberry, Kapok Tree, Santa Maria feverfew, Stinking Passionflower and Sea Almond.

Last seen Apr 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds, butterflies and dragonflies

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Settlement

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 37
BHEL Ward

ಬಿಎಚ್‌ಇಎಲ್ ವಾರ್ಡ್

Bengaluru Central corporation, Chickpet assembly seat

See source
Village
Byrasandra

Uttarahalli hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

56

See source
Height above sea level
922 m
See source
Coordinates

12.9303° N, 77.5954° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
108
2018 lake survey
BUBSUHbys_kr1-1320
Lake Development Authority
LDA070
KGIS tank map
997
Water bodies census
2/12/002/276600/1302825/001
City lake monitoring site
32