Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Kogilu Kere

ಕೋಗಿಲು ಕೆರೆ

Also called Kogilu Lake

Kere, a large tank, in Kogilu ward, Bengaluru North

See it on the map
Size
65.2 acresAbout 37 football pitches
Rank by size
130th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Hebbal
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
1% of the lakeSatellite land cover, 2021
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1905 to 1926, 1928 to 1954, 1956 to 1977 and 1979 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1904 to 2026.

  1. 1904

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1927

    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. 1978

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 11% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    7% of its water area has since gone dry; 11% 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. 2014

    Restored

    See source

  7. 2017-2018

    In the water bodies census, not marked as encroached

    This census's status marks are often wrong

    See source

  8. 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

  9. 2018

    Still there in the 2018 lake survey

    Clean, 78.7 acres surveyed

    See source

  10. 2023-2026

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

    Jul 2023 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  11. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon; mostly dry or built in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 56% open water
    • 24% floating weed
    • 20% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 43% open water
    • 3% floating weed
    • 55% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
65.2 acres

About 37 football pitches

See source
Land records
73.7 acres

About 42 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
78.7 acres

About 45 football pitches

See source
End to end
884 m

The longest straight line across the outline

See source
Deepest point, 2018
4 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 34 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 26 months. Fit only for irrigation: 8 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
Clean
See source
Older tests
2 readings

From 2021

See source
Inlet and outlet tests, 2017-18
2 readings
See source
Every reading
Show every reading

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

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C26
Dissolved oxygenmg/L4
pH7.9
ConductivityµS/cm501
BODmg/L4
Nitratemg/L as N1.9
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL700
Total coliformMPN/100mL3,500
Bicarbonatemg/L112
TurbidityNTU10
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3112
Chloridemg/L88
CODmg/L44
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.5
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3136
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO376
Calciummg/L30.4
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO360
Magnesiummg/L14.6
Sulphatemg/L24
Sodiummg/L48
Dissolved solidsmg/L340
Suspended solidsmg/L16
Potassiummg/L8
Fluoridemg/L0.33
Sodium share%34
Sodium adsorption ratio1.8
Orthophosphatemg/L0.44

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D447003,500See source
Jun 2026E294,9007,000See source
May 2026D654003,500See source
Apr 2026E2.2363905,400See source
Mar 2026D652101,300See source
Feb 2026E2.5504304,300See source
Jan 2026E2231,7007,900See source
Dec 2025E2.5152302,400See source
Nov 2025D4.862303,500See source
Oct 2025D4.471701,700See source
Sep 2025D5.853103,500See source
Jul 2025D4.481,10014,000See source
Jun 2025D5.963102,800See source
May 2025D4.151,4004,800See source
Apr 2025D4.952303,500See source
Mar 2025D4.181701,100See source
Feb 2025D4.981,3007,900See source
Jan 2025D5.842602,200See source
Dec 2024D6.162302,200See source
Nov 2024D4.491,4004,800See source
Oct 2024D5.671,20013,000See source
Sep 2024D762605,400See source
Aug 2024D5.752,30013,000See source
Jul 2024D6.941,4007,000See source
Jun 2024D7.861,70012,000See source
May 2024E1.6153,1009,400See source
Mar 2024E2.8291,7004,800See source
Feb 2024D544603,500See source
Jan 2024E3.2124,90024,000See source
Dec 2023D57.384092,000See source
Oct 2023D4.246,30054,000See source
Sep 2023D4.7549016,000See source
Aug 2023D6.443,10035,000See source
Jul 2023D4.294309,200See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Kogilu Kere, TankLowest253.16.540730.43,30035,000See source
2021Kogilu Kere, TankHighest257.28.31,332134.463,00,00016,00,00,000See 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
2017-11-15Inlet26.677.26514307214.37.29615.40.32111
2017-11-15Outlet28.27.4580354287.23112230.1142
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
1%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
1.13 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage dump

See source
Other problems noted

under-Rejuvenation

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

38% built, 27% crops, 15% trees, 7% bare ground, 7% shrubs, 6% grass, 0.5% water

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
Developed
See source
City zone
Yelahanka
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
Hebbal

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Jakkur Lake

See source
Catchment
7.7 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain fed

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

9 inlet drains, 1 overflow weir, 1 sluice gate, no culverts, no check dams and 2 islands

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Sewage Treatment Plant

2.2 km away, treats 15 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
164 species

Most seen: Western Swamphen, Ashy Prinia, Black Kite, Asian Koel and Gray Heron.

13,827 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
177 species

13,844 records, 2010 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
4
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • Greater spotted eagle vulnerable
  • River Tern vulnerable
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
82 times

39 species, 46 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Common Bluetail, Twister, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Wire-tailed Swallow and Brown Shrike.

Last seen Jan 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Skink and birds

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent and submerged

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Agriculture, settlement & layout

See source

Photos

Kogilu Kere, photographed in 2016
Mike Prince from Bangalore, India / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2016

Where it is

Ward 21
Kogilu

ಕೋಗಿಲು

Bengaluru North corporation, Byatarayanapura assembly seat

See source
Village
Kogilu

Yelahanka hobli, Bengaluru North taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

84 (Kogilu), 117 (Kattigenahalli)

See source
Height above sea level
887 m
See source
Coordinates

13.1098° N, 77.6197° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
47
2018 lake survey
BUBNYHklu_kr1-292
Lake Development Authority
LDA301
KGIS tank map
937
Water bodies census
2/12/002/253189/025976/003
City lake monitoring site
72