Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Chellakere Kere

ಚೇಳಿಕೆರೆ

Also called Chelekere, Chelekere Lake

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

See it on the map
Size
11.9 acresAbout 6.8 football pitches
Rank by size
669th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Hebbal
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
0% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 30% encroached.

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1928 to 1954, 1958 to 1977 and 1979 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1927 to 2026.

  1. 1927

    On the survey map

    See source

  2. 1955

    On the U.S. Army map

    Compiled from Survey of India maps of 1945-46

    See source

  3. 1957

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  4. 1978

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water in 21 of 38 years

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

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 20% is new water

    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 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

    30% encroached, polluted, 38.1 acres surveyed

    See source

  8. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 34 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Jul 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 floating weed after the monsoon; part floating weed, part open water in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 33% open water
    • 61% floating weed
    • 6% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 28% open water
    • 46% floating weed
    • 26% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
11.9 acres

About 6.8 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
38.1 acres

About 22 football pitches

See source
End to end
432 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 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 34 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 26 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 east

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, nitrite, phenolphthalein alkalinity, phosphate, kjeldahl nitrogen

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C25
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5.2
pH8.1
ConductivityµS/cm555
BODmg/L5
Nitratemg/L as N2.14
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL580
Total coliformMPN/100mL2,100
Bicarbonatemg/L116
TurbidityNTU14
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3116
Chloridemg/L96
CODmg/L49
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.4
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3152
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO388
Calciummg/L35.2
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO364
Magnesiummg/L15.6
Sulphatemg/L24
Sodiummg/L48
Dissolved solidsmg/L380
Suspended solidsmg/L22
Potassiummg/L4
Fluoridemg/L0.33
Sodium share%30
Sodium adsorption ratio1.7
Orthophosphatemg/L0.45

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D5.255802,100See source
Jun 2026E2.674,60012,000See source
May 2026D5.644,60012,000See source
Apr 2026D5.153903,500See source
Mar 2026D4.684003,500See source
Feb 2026E0.4284903,500See source
Jan 2026D5.85401,600See source
Dec 2025E2.9253,30017,000See source
Nov 2025D6.141,7007,900See source
Oct 2025D643202,100See source
Sep 2025D5.852602,800See source
Jul 2025E3.2162,30011,000See source
Jun 2025D653101,700See source
May 2025E3.861,40013,000See source
Apr 2025D6.141,4004,600See source
Mar 2025D4.172601,700See source
Feb 2025D5.562602,800See source
Jan 2025D6.881102,400See source
Dec 2024D662102,800See source
Nov 2024D553302,800See source
Oct 2024E2.1222,3009,400See source
Sep 2024D7.162502,400See source
Aug 2024D6511,00049,000See source
Jul 2024D6.842603,500See source
Jun 2024D7.944803,500See source
May 2024E1301,7007,900See source
Mar 2024E2.3272,10013,000See source
Feb 2024D5.443,3004,800See source
Jan 2024D4.574,60011,000See source
Dec 2023D4.87.82,30024,000See source
Oct 2023D644,90054,000See source
Sep 2023D4.374,00054,000See source
Aug 2023D6.646,30054,000See source
Jul 2023D4.881,70035,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Chelekere Lake, LakeLowest2546.529730.63,30024,000See source
2021Chelekere Lake, LakeHighest2577.41,326112.39,40,00054,00,000See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
13.3 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

The public and government agencies

See source
Taken for

Houses, road & play ground

See source
Where it is encroached

On the north-west, west and south side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage & construction debris

See source
Other problems noted

As per RTC, 38.05 a-g of land is acquired by BDA & 0.33a-g for Graveyard

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

91% built, 7% trees, 1% 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

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Hebbal

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Kalkere Kere

See source
Catchment
6.1 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rainfall & drain

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

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

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Cattle feeding

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board

1.6 km away

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
103 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Indian Pond-Heron, Asian Koel, Little Grebe and White-cheeked Barbet.

2,142 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
116 species

2,160 records, 2013 to 2025

See source
Threatened species seen here
3
  • Indian Flying Fox near threatened
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
42 times

29 species, 29 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Sausage tree, Grey Heron, Asian Weaver Ant, Indian Flying Fox and Foxtail Palm.

Last seen Aug 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

F and free floating

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Settlement & layout

See source

Photos

Chellakere Kere, photographed in 2023
Microesoft1212 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2023

Where it is

Ward 3
Chellakere

ಚೆಲ್ಲಕೆರೆ

Bengaluru East corporation, K.R. Pura assembly seat

See source
Village
Chellakere

KR Puram hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

85

See source
Height above sea level
904 m
See source
Coordinates

13.0266° N, 77.6453° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
31
2018 lake survey
BUBEKRclk_kr1-679
Lake Development Authority
LDA080
KGIS tank map
741
City lake monitoring site
160