Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Halanayakanahalli Kere

ಹಳನಾಯಕನಹಳ್ಳಿ ಸರೋವರ

Also called Halanayakanahalli kere1, Halanayakanahalli Lake

Kere, a large tank, in Halanayakanahalli village, Bengaluru East taluk

See it on the map
Size
63.9 acresAbout 36 football pitches
Rank by size
133rd largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta
Who looks after it
ZPZilla Panchayat
Water quality
Fit only for irrigationTested Jul 2026
Built over
2% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 7% encroached.

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1904 to 1944, 1946 to 1954, 1956 to 1979 and 1981 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1903 to 2026.

  1. 1903

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1945

    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. 1980

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 5% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0.6% of its water area has since gone dry; 25% is new water

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

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

    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

    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

  8. 2018

    Still there in the 2018 lake survey

    7% encroached, muddy, 79.6 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 2025-2026

    Tested by the state board in 15 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    May 2025 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  10. 2025-2026

    Mostly floating weed after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 11% open water
    • 77% floating weed
    • 12% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 5% open water
    • 87% floating weed
    • 8% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
63.9 acres

About 36 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
79.6 acres

About 45 football pitches

See source
End to end
953 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 15 times since May 2025
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 10 months. Fit only for irrigation: 5 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
Muddy
See source
What pollutes it, 2018

Solid waste

See source
Every reading
Show every reading

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

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C24
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5.8
pH6.7
ConductivityµS/cm1,812
BODmg/L5
Nitratemg/L as N7
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL58
Total coliformMPN/100mL1,600
Bicarbonatemg/L356
TurbidityNTU2.4
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3356
Chloridemg/L432
CODmg/L56
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.61
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3368
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3188
Calciummg/L75.2
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3180
Magnesiummg/L43.8
Sodiummg/L202
Dissolved solidsmg/L1,242
Phosphatemg/L0.23
Potassiummg/L8
Fluoridemg/L0.28
Sodium share%54
Sodium adsorption ratio4.4
Orthophosphatemg/L0.55

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E5.85581,600See source
Jun 2026D4.610701,600See source
May 2026E1.12021,00,00043,00,000See source
Apr 2026E1.6243,30011,000See source
Mar 2026D5.553,40013,000See source
Feb 2026D6.4440920See source
Jan 2026D6.14791,600See source
Dec 2025E2161,7006,300See source
Nov 2025E1.8293902,200See source
Oct 2025D644001,700See source
Sep 2025D5.462602,100See source
Aug 2025D652402,800See source
Jul 2025D5.952004,300See source
Jun 2025D5.152104,300See source
May 2025D5.151402,800See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
2%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
11.5 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Government agencies and farmers

See source
Taken for

Road & agriculture

See source
Where it is encroached

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

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage & construction debris

See source
Other problems noted

Soil Excavation

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

44% built, 21% trees, 16% shrubs, 15% crops, 3% grass, 1% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Zilla Panchayat

ZP

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

Sowl Kere

See source
Catchment
7 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

1 inlet drain, 1 overflow weir, 1 sluice gate, no culverts, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Irrigation and cattle feeding

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Sewage Treatment Plant

2.6 km away

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
108 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Rock Pigeon, Common Myna, Indian Pond-Heron and Eurasian Coot.

2,109 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
112 species

2,113 records, 2016 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
3
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • Greater spotted eagle vulnerable
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
129 times

58 species, 47 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Madagascar Periwinkle, Yellow Cosmos, Brown Droptail Ant, Ruby Leaf and Asian Honey Bee.

Last seen Aug 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds and butterflies

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Layout, vacant land, eucalyptus & coconut plantation

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Greater Bengaluru
Outside the city limits
See source
Village
Halanayakanahalli

Varthuru hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

67 (Halanayakanahalli), 7 (Chikkakannelli), 12 (Chikkanayakanahalli)

See source
Height above sea level
890 m
See source
Coordinates

12.8994° N, 77.6919° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
177
2018 lake survey
BUBEVRhly_kr1-551
Lake Development Authority
LDA184
KGIS tank map
639
Water bodies census
1/12/002/000005/000047/001