Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Ibbalur Govt. Lake

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

See it on the map
Size
5.65 acresAbout 3.2 football pitches
Rank by size
977th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
11% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 15% encroached.
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1946 to 1957, 1959 to 1979 and 1981 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1945 to 2026.

  1. 1945

    On the survey map

    See source

  2. 1958

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  3. 1980

    Not on the survey map

    See source

  4. 1984-2021

    Held water in 13 of 38 years

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

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 44% is new water

    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

    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

    15% encroached, polluted, 18.1 acres surveyed

    See source

  8. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 36 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 open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 80% open water
    • 14% floating weed
    • 6% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 87% open water
    • 10% floating weed
    • 3% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
5.65 acres

About 3.2 football pitches

See source
Land records
18.1 acres

About 10 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
18.1 acres

About 10 football pitches

See source
End to end
257 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 36 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 31 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
Polluted
See source
What pollutes it, 2018

Sewage

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the south

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, phenolphthalein alkalinity, phosphate, kjeldahl nitrogen, suspended solids

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C25
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5.5
pH7.5
ConductivityµS/cm901
BODmg/L6
Nitratemg/L as N3.4
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL630
Total coliformMPN/100mL4,300
Bicarbonatemg/L288
TurbidityNTU5.5
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3288
Chloridemg/L136
CODmg/L68
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.43
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3232
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3116
Calciummg/L46.4
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3116
Magnesiummg/L28.2
Sulphatemg/L60
Sodiummg/L92
Dissolved solidsmg/L622
Potassiummg/L9
Fluoridemg/L0.44
Sodium share%45
Sodium adsorption ratio2.6
Orthophosphatemg/L0.3

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D5.566304,300See source
Jun 2026D554603,500See source
May 2026D4.452402,200See source
Apr 2026D4.254605,400See source
Mar 2026E2.8274,60011,000See source
Feb 2026D5.954705,400See source
Jan 2026D7.2447540See source
Dec 2025D6.353,3008,400See source
Nov 2025D642,3009,400See source
Oct 2025D5.782603,500See source
Sep 2025D6.242603,500See source
Aug 2025D563202,100See source
Jul 2025D582502,100See source
Jun 2025D5.952002,200See source
May 2025D562103,500See source
Apr 2025E2.8102302,100See source
Mar 2025D4.781701,300See source
Feb 2025D5.751202,400See source
Jan 2025D7.851705,400See source
Dec 2024D5.243304,300See source
Nov 2024D5.662302,800See source
Oct 2024D6.36171,600See source
Sep 2024D4.862603,500See source
Aug 2024E1.930261,600See source
Jul 2024D5.9725920See source
Jun 2024E2382103,500See source
May 2024D4.373103,500See source
Apr 2024D4.761701,300See source
Mar 2024D4.686303,500See source
Feb 2024D5.262702,400See source
Jan 2024D6.7521,00070,000See source
Dec 2023D4.289,40054,000See source
Oct 2023D6.1441016,000See source
Sep 2023D6.647,00092,000See source
Aug 2023D4.364,7001,60,000See source
Jul 2023E4531,0003,50,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Ibbalur Lake, LakeLowest2526.520640.54,60035,000See source
2021Ibbalur Lake, LakeHighest256.47.4738163.43,30,00024,00,000See source

Inlet and outlet tests, 2017-18 lake survey

DateWhereWater temperature°CpHConductivityµS/cmDissolved solidsmg/LSuspended solidsmg/LTurbidityNTUDissolved oxygenmg/LCODmg/LBODmg/LTotal phosphateKjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as NTotal coliformMPN/100mL
2018-02-05Inlet16.87.11,6621,29627108.30.19647.131.8421,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
11%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
9.49 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Government agencies and the public

See source
Taken for

Road, temple & graveyard

See source
Where it is encroached

On the north, east, south and west side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage dump

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

71% built, 17% trees, 6% crops, 4% shrubs, 0.8% water, 0.7% grass, 0.6% 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
Work in progress
See source
City zone
Bommanahalli
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

Varthur Lake

See source
Catchment
1.6 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
Nearest sewage treatment plant

250 KLD Water Reclamation Plant

146 m away, treats 0.25 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
52 species

Most seen: Little Cormorant, Indian Pond-Heron, Eurasian Coot, Black Kite and Little Grebe.

262 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
60 species

271 records, 2018 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
1
  • Tawny Eagle vulnerable
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
40 times

30 species, 30 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Asian Openbill, Grey Heron, Bush Thunbergia, Purple Heron and Indian Pond-Heron.

Last seen Sep 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent and free floating

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Settlement & vacant land

See source

Photos

Ibbalur Govt. Lake, photographed in 2010
Amol.Gaitonde / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010

Where it is

Ward 70
Iblur

ಇಬ್ಬಲೂರು

Bengaluru South corporation, Bommanahalli assembly seat

See source
Village
Ibbalur

Begur hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

36

See source
Height above sea level
891 m
See source
Coordinates

12.9223° N, 77.6669° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
127
2018 lake survey
BUBSBGiba_kr2-1450
Lake Development Authority
LDA225
KGIS tank map
953
Water bodies census
2/12/002/276600/1302846/002
City lake monitoring site
74