Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Herohalli Lake

ಹೇರೋಹಳ್ಳಿ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Herohalli Kere

Kere, a large tank, in Herohalli ward, Bengaluru West

See it on the map
Size
23.7 acresAbout 13 football pitches
Rank by size
389th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Arkavathi
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for irrigationTested Jul 2026
Built over
0% of the lakeSatellite land cover, 2021

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1915 to 1954, 1956 to 1972 and 1974 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1914 to 2026.

  1. 1914

    Not on the survey map

    See source

  2. 1955

    Not on the U.S. Army map

    Compiled from Survey of India maps of 1945-46

    See source

  3. 1973

    On the survey map

    See source

  4. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 40% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    2% of its water area has since gone dry; 48% is new water

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

    See sourceSee source

  5. 1998

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See 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 every year

    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

    Polluted, 34.8 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 2023-2026

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

    Aug 2023 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  10. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 94% open water
    • 3% floating weed
    • 3% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 92% open water
    • 2% floating weed
    • 7% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
23.7 acres

About 13 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
34.8 acres

About 20 football pitches

See source
End to end
479 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 34 times since Aug 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 19 months. Fit only for irrigation: 15 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 north-east

See source
Older tests
3 readings

From 2011 and 2021

See sourceSee 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, phenolphthalein alkalinity

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C29
Dissolved oxygenmg/L2.2
pH6.7
ConductivityµS/cm410
BODmg/L22
Nitratemg/L as N1.6
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL4,600
Total coliformMPN/100mL17,000
Bicarbonatemg/L108
TurbidityNTU59.4
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3108
Chloridemg/L56
CODmg/L152
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N3.6
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N2.8
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3108
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO356
Calciummg/L22.4
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO352
Magnesiummg/L12.6
Sulphatemg/L47
Sodiummg/L42
Dissolved solidsmg/L282
Suspended solidsmg/L64
Phosphatemg/L0.38
Potassiummg/L4
Fluoridemg/L0.3
Sodium share%45
Sodium adsorption ratio1.7
Orthophosphatemg/L0.89

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E2.2224,60017,000See source
Jun 2026D5.277902,400See source
May 2026D5.853302,100See source
Apr 2026D5.274003,500See source
Mar 2026E1.7153,3009,400See source
Feb 2026E2.1273,30028,000See source
Jan 2026E2.8381,70013,000See source
Dec 2025D5.942601,700See source
Nov 2025D4.652603,500See source
Oct 2025E2.1224602,100See source
Sep 2025D463,1007,000See source
Aug 2025E3.3163104,300See source
Jul 2025E2.9201703,500See source
Jun 2025E3.1162,10011,000See source
May 2025D5.951,7007,900See source
Apr 2025D5.2121,7002,200See source
Mar 2025E1.7222,10011,000See source
Feb 2025E402,50015,000See source
Jan 2025D5.6101,70011,000See source
Dec 2024D5.5132002,000See source
Nov 2024D4.5112,4004,800See source
Oct 2024E2.8302,20013,000See source
Sep 2024E0.951,7007,900See source
Aug 2024E3.2243,10011,000See source
Jul 2024E2.3181,7007,900See source
Jun 2024D5.8417,00070,000See source
May 2024D4.362,50014,000See source
Apr 2024E237804,900See source
Mar 2024D4.442,2009,400See source
Feb 2024D4.2124,60011,000See source
Jan 2024D4.3922,00079,000See source
Dec 2023D4.357,00092,000See source
Oct 2023D654,70092,000See source
Aug 2023D4.2749,0003,50,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingChloridePhosphateSuspended solidsmg/LDissolved oxygenmg/LCODmg/LNitratemg/L as NTotal hardnessFluoridepHZincLeadCopperManganeseE coliTotal coliformMPN/100mLWater temperature°CConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2011Herohalli Kere, Inlel2490.2899.61516.352960.68.460.190.080.080.951,60,0001,60,000See source
2021Herohalli Tank, TankLowest0.36.224,0002532140.33,400See source
2021Herohalli Tank, TankHighest6.37.43,50,000251,566306.346,000See 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
2017-11-2230257.171544040534176160.9101,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
1.80 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage dump

See source
Other problems noted

Park

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

75% built, 16% trees, 4% crops, 4% shrubs, 0.7% 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
Arkavathi

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Overflows into

Kachohalli Kere

See source
Catchment
2.6 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rainfall & drain fed

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

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

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Park maintenance

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Mallathahalli Sewage Treatment Plant

2.4 km away, treats 5 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
96 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Red-wattled Lapwing, Indian Pond-Heron, Rock Pigeon and Western Swamphen.

4,452 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
97 species

4,453 records, 2018 to 2024

See source
Threatened species seen here
1
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
12 times

12 species, 12 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Indian Spot-billed Duck, Grey Heron, Eastern Cattle-Egret, Purple Heron and Indian Pond-Heron.

Last seen Nov 2020

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds, fish, butterflies and dragonflies

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Settlement, school & factory

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 14
Herohalli

ಹೆರೋಹಳ್ಳಿ

Bengaluru West corporation, Yeshwanthapura assembly seat

See source
Village
Herohalli

Yeshwanthpura hobli, Bengaluru North taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

99

See source
Height above sea level
895 m
See source
Coordinates

12.9886° N, 77.4903° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
253
2018 lake survey
BUBNYPher_kr1-114
Lake Development Authority
LDA201
KGIS tank map
1204
Water bodies census
2/12/002/253189/026043/003
City lake monitoring site
127