Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Chunchanaghatta Kere

ಚುಂಚಘಟ್ಟ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Chunchagatta Lake

Kere, a large tank, in Bheereshwara Nagar ward, Bengaluru South

See it on the map
Size
12.8 acresAbout 7.3 football pitches
Rank by size
635th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta
Who looks after it
KFDKarnataka Forest Department
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
6% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 1% encroached.
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1938 to 1944, 1946 to 1954, 1956 to 1979 and 1981 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1937 to 2026.

  1. 1937

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1945

    On the survey map

    See source

  3. 1955

    Not on the U.S. Army map

    Compiled from Survey of India maps of 1945-46

    See source

  4. 1980

    Not on the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 13% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 42% 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

    No one cover holds over half of it 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

    1% encroached, polluted, 22.8 acres surveyed

    See source

  8. 2025-2026

    Tested by the state board in 11 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Sep 2025 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  9. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon; part dry or built, part floating weed in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 69% open water
    • 28% floating weed
    • 3% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 29% open water
    • 35% floating weed
    • 37% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
12.8 acres

About 7.3 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
22.8 acres

About 13 football pitches

See source
End to end
552 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 11 times since Sep 2025
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 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
Polluted
See source
What pollutes it, 2018

Sewage

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the south-west

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, kjeldahl nitrogen

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C25
Dissolved oxygenmg/L4.6
pH6.6
ConductivityµS/cm782
BODmg/L6
Nitratemg/L as N3
Nitritemg/L as N0.06
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL460
Total coliformMPN/100mL5,400
Bicarbonatemg/L210
TurbidityNTU32.1
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3210
Chloridemg/L19
CODmg/L64
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.4
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3140
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3120
Calciummg/L48
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO320
Magnesiummg/L4.9
Sulphatemg/L75
Sodiummg/L78
Dissolved solidsmg/L518
Suspended solidsmg/L42
Phosphatemg/L0.81
Potassiummg/L8
Fluoridemg/L0.24
Sodium share%53
Sodium adsorption ratio2.87
Orthophosphatemg/L1.9

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D4.664605,400See source
Jun 2026D573303,500See source
May 2026D5.563903,500See source
Apr 2026D554803,500See source
Mar 2026D4.584,9009,400See source
Feb 2026D6.343302,100See source
Jan 2026D642703,500See source
Dec 2025D6.442602,100See source
Nov 2025D5.563303,500See source
Oct 2025D5.453301,700See source
Sep 2025D5.763302,100See 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
2018-02-0619.457.386554885.21.6831.32.251.716.81,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
6%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
1.21 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Government agencies and private owners

See source
Taken for

Road & houses

See source
Where it is encroached

On the south-west and west side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage waste

See source
Land within 500 m

89% built, 7% trees, 1% grass, 1% crops, 0.8% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Karnataka Forest Department

KFD

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
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Sarakki Lake

See source
Catchment
2.9 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, no culverts, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Cattle feeding

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Sarakki 5MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

797 m away, treats 5 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
106 species

Most seen: Indian Pond-Heron, Western Swamphen, Black Kite, Little Egret and Gray Heron.

2,343 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
113 species

2,353 records, 2015 to 2025

See source
Threatened species seen here
2
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • Indian Roller near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
52 times

33 species, 38 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Ditch Jewel, Little Egret, Scarlet Skimmer, Brahminy Kite and Black Kite.

Last seen May 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent and submerged

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Settlement & bus stop

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 43
Bheereshwara Nagar

ಭೀರೇಶ್ವರ ನಗರ

Bengaluru South corporation, Bangalore South assembly seat

See source
Village
Chunchana ghatta

Uttarahalli hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

70

See source
Height above sea level
922 m
See source
Coordinates

12.8889° N, 77.5753° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
113
2018 lake survey
BUBSUHcuk_kr1-1323
Lake Development Authority
LDA105
KGIS tank map
1035
City lake monitoring site
117