Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Hesaraghatta Lake

ಹೆಸರಘಟ್ಟ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Hesarghatta Tank

See it on the map
Size
1,691 acresAbout 959 football pitches
Rank by size
2nd largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Arkavathi
Who looks after it
Nobody on record looks after it
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
0% of the lakeSatellite land cover, 2021
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1915 to 1954, 1956 to 1973, 1975 to 1977 and 1979 to 1983.

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

  1. 1914

    On the survey map

    See source

  2. 1955

    On the U.S. Army maps

    Compiled from Survey of India maps of 1945-46

    See sourceSee source

  3. 1974 and 1978

    On the survey maps

    See sourceSee source

  4. 1984-2021

    Held water every year

    Water in 12% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    5% of its water area has since gone dry; 25% is new water

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

    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 plants or weed in most years

    Floating weed shows as crops or grass here, not as water

    About three in four of these readings are right, so trust what holds for several years

    See source

  7. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 35 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Jul 2023 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  8. 2025-2026

    Part open water, part dry or built after the monsoon; mostly dry or built in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 48% open water
    • 11% floating weed
    • 41% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 43% open water
    • 1% floating weed
    • 56% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

Drawn outline
1,691 acres

About 959 football pitches

See source
End to end
5.8 km

The longest straight line across the outline

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 35 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 34 months. Fit only for irrigation: 1 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
Older tests
2 readings

From 2021

See source
Every reading
Show every reading

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

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C27
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5.8
pH7.1
ConductivityµS/cm489
BODmg/L6
Nitratemg/L as N1.6
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL700
Total coliformMPN/100mL2,800
Bicarbonatemg/L152
TurbidityNTU6.1
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3152
Chloridemg/L56
CODmg/L64
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.4
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3140
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO376
Calciummg/L30.4
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO364
Magnesiummg/L15.6
Sodiummg/L23
Dissolved solidsmg/L332
Fluoridemg/L0.32
Sodium share%26
Sodium adsorption ratio0.84

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D5.867002,800See source
Jun 2026D6.85791,600See source
May 2026D4.661401,600See source
Apr 2026D5.669402,200See source
Mar 2026D5.863305,400See source
Feb 2026D6.443101,700See source
Jan 2026D5.35401,600See source
Dec 2025D6.142702,400See source
Nov 2025D6.143302,200See source
Oct 2025D6.14381,600See source
Sep 2025D6.141701,500See source
Aug 2025D7.144002,200See source
Jul 2025D6426140See source
Jun 2025D652003,500See source
May 2025D6.451402,400See source
Apr 2025D6.942101,100See source
Mar 2025D5.886803,900See source
Feb 2025D572702,400See source
Jan 2025D7.143103,500See source
Dec 2024D5.851403,500See source
Nov 2024D611211,600See source
Oct 2024D4.8101,1007,900See source
Sep 2024D6.841702,800See source
Aug 2024D643803,500See source
Jul 2024D5.382603,500See source
Jun 2024D6433016,000See source
May 2024E0.63017,00048,000See source
Apr 2024D5.85321,600See source
Mar 2024D5.37141,600See source
Feb 2024D6.143303,500See source
Jan 2024D6.163,40013,000See source
Dec 2023D4.397009,200See source
Oct 2023D5.254,00054,000See source
Aug 2023D4.873209,200See source
Jul 2023D5.2447016,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Hesaraghatta Tank, TankLowest254.85.412320.34,60035,000See source
2021Hesaraghatta Tank, TankHighest256.68.170272.463,00,0005,40,00,000See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Land within 500 m

48% crops, 27% trees, 20% shrubs, 3% built, 0.9% grass

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Nobody on record
Residents' groups
  • Arkavathy Kere Ulisi Andolana Samithi (AKASH)
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
Catchment
603.5 km²

The land that drains into it

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
283 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Brahminy Kite, Black Drongo, Common Myna and Pied Bushchat.

1,49,134 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
468 species

1,49,780 records, 2003 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
21
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • River Tern vulnerable
  • Woolly-necked Stork near threatened
  • Greater spotted eagle vulnerable
  • Tawny Eagle vulnerable
  • Red-necked Falcon near threatened
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • Rufous-tailed Lark near threatened
  • Egyptian Vulture endangered
  • Pallid Harrier near threatened
  • Indian Spotted Eagle near threatened
  • Black-tailed Godwit near threatened
  • Steppe Eagle endangered
  • Common Pochard vulnerable
  • Laggar Falcon near threatened
  • Dunlin near threatened
  • Curlew Sandpiper vulnerable
  • Smooth-coated otter vulnerable
  • Honduras Mahogany endangered
  • Gray Slender Loris near threatened
  • Asoka-tree near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
1,929 times

407 species, 1,489 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Lilac Silverline, Small Salmon Arab, Brahminy Kite, Paddyfield Pipit and Small Cupid.

Last seen Aug 2026

See source

Around it

Nothing on record about what is around it.

Photos

Hesaraghatta Lake, photographed in 2018
Firos AK / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2018
Hesaraghatta Lake, photographed in 2020
Shyamal / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2020
Hesaraghatta Lake, photographed in 2017
Gutam2000 / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2017
Hesaraghatta Lake, photographed in 2019
Sagar / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2019
Hesaraghatta Lake, photographed in 2026
Shyamal / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2026
Hesaraghatta Lake, photographed in 2026
Shyamal / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2026
Hesaraghatta Lake, photographed in 2026
Shyamal / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2026
Hesaraghatta Lake, photographed in 2026
Shyamal / CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2026
Hesaraghatta Lake, photographed in 2022
Shyamal / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2022

Where it is

Greater Bengaluru
Outside the city limits
See source
Height above sea level
863 m
See source
Coordinates

13.1671° N, 77.4911° E

See source

Read more

Wikipedia

Hesaraghatta Lake is a humanmade reservoir located 18 km to the north-west of Bengaluru in Karnataka state, India. It is a fresh water lake created in the year 1894 across the Arkavathy River to meet the drinking water needs of the city. Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, the then Dewan of erstwhile Mysore state and the then Chief Engineer of Mysuru, M. C. Hutchins, planned to build the scheme called the "Chamarajendra Water Works" to store a three-years' water supply to the city.

Read Hesaraghatta Lake on Wikipedia

See source
Kannada Wikipedia

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಉತ್ತರದಲ್ಲಿ ೨೭ಕಿಮಿ ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಸರುಘಟ್ಟ ಕೆರೆ ಇದೆ, ಈ ಕೆರೆಯು ಕೆಲವು ವರ್ಷಗಳ ಕಾಲ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿಗೆ ಕುಡಿಯುವ ನೀರನ್ನು ಪೂರೈಸುತ್ತಿತ್ತು.

ಹೆಸರಘಟ್ಟ ಕೆರೆ

See source
OpenStreetMap
See source
Wikimedia Commons

See every photo of it

See source
Wikidata

Q5745519

See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
439
KGIS tank map
14
Water bodies census
1/12/002/000002/000022/003