Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Gubbalal Kere

ಗುಬ್ಬಲಾಲ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Gubbalala Kere

Kere, a large tank, in Subramanyapura ward, Bengaluru South

See it on the map
Size
7.24 acresAbout 4.1 football pitches
Rank by size
888th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Vrishabhavathi
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for irrigationTested Jul 2026
Built over
26% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 5% encroached.

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1870 to 1944, 1946 to 1979 and 1981 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1869 to 2026.

  1. 1869

    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 most years

    Water in 8% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 18% 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

    5% encroached, polluted, 8.25 acres surveyed

    See source

  8. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 26 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 dry or built after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 3% open water
    • 21% floating weed
    • 76% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 0% open water
    • 0% floating weed
    • 100% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
7.24 acres

About 4.1 football pitches

See source
Land records
8.25 acres

About 4.7 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
8.25 acres

About 4.7 football pitches

See source
End to end
271 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 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 26 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 15 months. Fit only for irrigation: 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 east

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, nitrite, orthophosphate, phenolphthalein alkalinity, phosphate, potassium, suspended solids

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C28
Dissolved oxygenmg/L3.2
pH6.7
ConductivityµS/cm440
BODmg/L16
Nitratemg/L as N1.8
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL580
Total coliformMPN/100mL4,300
Bicarbonatemg/L168
TurbidityNTU6.3
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3168
Chloridemg/L36
CODmg/L128
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N3
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N2.4
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3132
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO372
Calciummg/L28.8
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO360
Magnesiummg/L14.6
Sulphatemg/L13
Sodiummg/L34
Dissolved solidsmg/L300
Fluoridemg/L0.48
Sodium share%35
Sodium adsorption ratio1.28

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E3.2165804,300See source
Jun 2026E1564003,500See source
Feb 2026E2.5282,0009,400See source
Jan 2026D5.864702,800See source
Dec 2025D65331,600See source
Nov 2025D5.352603,500See source
Oct 2025D5.853105,400See source
Sep 2025D5.952001,700See source
Aug 2025D5.853104,300See source
Jul 2025D4.2146,80033,000See source
Jun 2025E3.1162602,100See source
Feb 2025E7992,00,0004,60,00,000See source
Jan 2025E3.2182102,800See source
Dec 2024E2.7202103,500See source
Nov 2024D662202,400See source
Oct 2024D6.562502,800See source
Sep 2024D5.172,00017,000See source
Aug 2024E3.2121,70014,000See source
Jul 2024D4.64141,600See source
Jun 2024D5.873109,200See source
Jan 2024E384,60011,000See source
Dec 2023E2.6397,9001,60,000See source
Oct 2023D5.847,00054,000See source
Sep 2023D6.24See source
Aug 2023E1244,60035,000See source
Jul 2023D4.863,30054,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Gubbalal Kere, LakeLowest254.86.524730.41,50016,000See source
2021Gubbalal Kere, LakeHighest256.47.7371110.815,0001,60,000See 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
2018-02-0621.287.81,5369162015.10.56648.021.5351,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
26%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
0.13 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

BDA

See source
Taken for

Layout & coconut plantation

See source
Where it is encroached

On the south-west and east side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage waste

See source
Land within 500 m

64% built, 14% trees, 13% crops, 5% shrubs, 3% grass, 0.5% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

BBMP

See source
City work on the lake
To be developed
See source
City zone
Rajarajeshwari Nagar
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
Vrishabhavathi

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Catchment
0.8 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

1 inlet drain, no overflow weirs, no sluice gates, no culverts, no check dams and no islands

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
88 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Indian Pond-Heron, Common Myna, Red-wattled Lapwing and Asian Koel.

954 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
88 species

954 records, 2011 to 2024

See source
Threatened species seen here
1
  • Indian Roller near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
2 times

1 species, 1 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Indian Peafowl.

Last seen Nov 2024

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

Layout, coconut plantation & apartment

See source
Surveyor's note, 2018

Old Village Map Survey No.22

See source

Photos

Gubbalal Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Gubbalal Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Gubbalal Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Gubbalal Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Gubbalal Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Gubbalal Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Gubbalal Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Gubbalal Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Gubbalal Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025

Where it is

Ward 51
Subramanyapura

ಸುಬ್ರಹ್ಮಣ್ಯಪುರ

Bengaluru South corporation, Bangalore South assembly seat

See source
Village
Gubbalalu

Uttarahalli hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

25

See source
Height above sea level
878 m
See source
Coordinates

12.8812° N, 77.5410° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
481
2018 lake survey
BUBSUHgbl_kr2-1335
KGIS tank map
1037
Water bodies census
2/12/002/276600/1302856/003
City lake monitoring site
158