Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Chikkabanavara Kere

ಚಿಕ್ಕಬಾಣಾವರ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Chikkabanavara Lake

Kere, a large tank, in Chikka Banavara village, Bengaluru North taluk

See it on the map
Size
87.5 acresAbout 50 football pitches
Rank by size
92nd largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Arkavathi
Who looks after it
BDABangalore Development Authority
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
0.6% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 7% encroached.
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1905 to 1926, 1928 to 1954, 1956 to 1977 and 1979 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. 1927

    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. 1978

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 25% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 73% is new water

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

    See sourceSee source

  6. 2017-2018

    In the water bodies census, not marked as encroached

    This census's status marks are often wrong

    See source

  7. 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

  8. 2018

    Still there in the 2018 lake survey

    7% encroached, polluted, 105 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 31 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Jul 2023 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  10. 2024

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

    See source

  11. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 76% open water
    • 15% floating weed
    • 9% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 61% open water
    • 4% floating weed
    • 35% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
87.5 acres

About 50 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
105 acres

About 60 football pitches

See source
End to end
1.0 km

The longest straight line across the outline

See source
Deepest point, 2018
4.6 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 31 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 21 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
Polluted
See source
What pollutes it, 2018

Sewage, granite sludge & solid wastes

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the north-east, south-east and south-west

See source
Older tests
2 readings

From 2021

See source
Inlet and outlet tests, 2017-18
2 readings
See source
Every reading
Show every reading

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

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C27
Dissolved oxygenmg/L4.2
pH6.5
ConductivityµS/cm504
BODmg/L8
Nitratemg/L as N2
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL310
Total coliformMPN/100mL3,500
Bicarbonatemg/L144
TurbidityNTU8.3
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3144
Chloridemg/L64
CODmg/L76
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.54
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3152
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO380
Calciummg/L32
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO372
Magnesiummg/L17.5
Sulphatemg/L37
Sodiummg/L40
Dissolved solidsmg/L344
Fluoridemg/L0.26
Sodium share%36
Sodium adsorption ratio1.4

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D4.283103,500See source
Jun 2026D567003,500See source
May 2026D479405,400See source
Apr 2026D4.674001,700See source
Mar 2026D4.173,10012,000See source
Feb 2026D5.873201,200See source
Jan 2026D5.374003,500See source
Dec 2025D644003,500See source
Nov 2025D4.953303,500See source
Oct 2025D6.152602,200See source
Sep 2025D6.543,10012,000See source
Aug 2025D7.142701,700See source
Jul 2025D6.142,10014,000See source
Jun 2025E3.4168402,100See source
Mar 2025E3.2221,7009,400See source
Feb 2025D4.952,30017,000See source
Jan 2025E222,3007,900See source
Dec 2024D5132605,400See source
Nov 2024D6.191102,400See source
Oct 2024D4.362,10011,000See source
Sep 2024D641305,400See source
Jun 2024E1.91717240See source
Apr 2024E2222702,800See source
Mar 2024E0.9171,1007,900See source
Feb 2024E1262,20013,000See source
Jan 2024E3.91233,0001,70,000See source
Dec 2023E3.4125,80092,000See source
Oct 2023D4.7833016,000See source
Sep 2023D4.1946016,000See source
Aug 2023D5.37.33305,400See source
Jul 2023E2.7134,10092,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Chikkabanvara Lake, Chikkabanwara, Bengaluru North, LakeLowest2516.522540.363,30024,000See source
2021Chikkabanvara Lake, Chikkabanwara, Bengaluru North, LakeHighest2577.71,87122311,00,00092,00,000See 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/100mLLight transparencycm
2017-11-22Inlet26.481,21970012898.70.88019.20.3101,600
2017-11-22Outlet28.87.51,1839504423.82.696230.5101,6009
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.6%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
3.23 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Farmers, woodtraders and the public

See source
Taken for

Agriculture, sheds, market & buildings

See source
Where it is encroached

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

See source
Dumped in it

Slaughter, garbage, plastic & granite sludge

See source
Other problems noted

Apartment in buffer zone

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

46% built, 24% trees, 22% crops, 5% shrubs, 2% grass, 0.9% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Bangalore Development Authority

BDA

See source
Campaign pages
See source

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Arkavathi

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Arkavathi river

See source
Catchment
21.4 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain fed

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

4 inlet drains, 1 overflow weir, 2 sluice gates, 2 culverts, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Cattle feeding, washing and fishing

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Chikkabanavara 5MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

614 m away, treats 5 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
123 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Indian Pond-Heron, Brahminy Kite, Western Swamphen and Eurasian Coot.

3,044 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
123 species

3,044 records, 2010 to 2025

See source
Threatened species seen here
3
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • Egyptian Vulture endangered
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
3 times

2 species, 3 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Temminck's Stint and Little Grebe.

Last seen Feb 2025

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent, submerged and floating

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Agriculture, settlement, temple, graveyard, industry, aparments & market

See source

Photos

Chikkabanavara Kere, photographed in 2017
Shruti.morabad / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2017

Where it is

Greater Bengaluru
Outside the city limits
See source
Village
Chikka Banavara

Yeshwanthpura hobli, Bengaluru North taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

3 (Chikka banavara), 22 (Keregulladahalli), 73 (Somashettihalli), 11, 15 (Ganigarahalli)

See source
Height above sea level
858 m
See source
Coordinates

13.0825° N, 77.5076° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
272
2018 lake survey
BUBNYPcbv_kr1-86
Lake Development Authority
LDA083
KGIS tank map
1134
Water bodies census
1/12/002/000002/000025/001