Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Kothanaru Kere

Also called Krishna nagar kere

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

See it on the map
Size
11.6 acresAbout 6.6 football pitches
Rank by size
679th 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
0.4% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 2% encroached.

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1904 to 1944, 1946 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. 1980

    On the survey map

    See source

  4. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

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

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 47% 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 water every year

    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

    2% encroached, clean and polluted, 18.2 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

    • 84% open water
    • 7% floating weed
    • 10% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 85% open water
    • 5% floating weed
    • 9% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
11.6 acres

About 6.6 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
18.2 acres

About 10 football pitches

See source
End to end
444 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: 29 months. Fit only for irrigation: 7 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 and polluted
See source
What pollutes it, 2018

Sewage

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the south-east

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, fluoride, nitrite, phenolphthalein alkalinity, kjeldahl nitrogen

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C25
Dissolved oxygenmg/L4.5
pH7.3
ConductivityµS/cm509
BODmg/L6
Nitratemg/L as N1.95
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL630
Total coliformMPN/100mL4,300
Bicarbonatemg/L160
TurbidityNTU26.4
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3160
Chloridemg/L13
CODmg/L60
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.4
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3160
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3100
Calciummg/L40
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO360
Magnesiummg/L14.6
Sulphatemg/L42
Sodiummg/L51
Dissolved solidsmg/L338
Suspended solidsmg/L36
Phosphatemg/L0.34
Potassiummg/L5
Sodium share%40
Sodium adsorption ratio1.75
Orthophosphatemg/L0.86

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D4.566304,300See source
Jun 2026D4.994603,500See source
May 2026D564902,400See source
Apr 2026D5.479402,200See source
Mar 2026D5.754602,800See source
Feb 2026D5.463102,800See source
Jan 2026D5.362,70011,000See source
Dec 2025D6.344703,500See source
Nov 2025D653203,500See source
Oct 2025D641,7007,900See source
Sep 2025D4.182202,400See source
Aug 2025E2.5203302,800See source
Jul 2025E113,30013,000See source
Jun 2025D5.851402,400See source
May 2025D4.882302,200See source
Apr 2025D5.961201,600See source
Mar 2025D643101,700See source
Feb 2025D4.462201,500See source
Jan 2025D6.8517920See source
Dec 2024D6.641702,400See source
Nov 2024D4.151403,500See source
Oct 2024E3.7162602,800See source
Sep 2024D4.15171,600See source
Aug 2024D5.661402,400See source
Jul 2024D6.543103,500See source
Jun 2024E2.6223,20022,000See source
May 2024E2282,20011,000See source
Apr 2024D4.871,4007,900See source
Mar 2024D4.372,70011,000See source
Feb 2024D5.163103,500See source
Jan 2024D644,80035,000See source
Dec 2023D5.173,40054,000See source
Oct 2023E3.1127,90054,000See source
Sep 2023D5.174809,200See source
Aug 2023D4.3521540See source
Jul 2023E3.2168,40092,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Kothunuru Lake, LakeLowest2536.636940.52,70024,000See source
2021Kothunuru Lake, LakeHighest256.27.61,34534414,0001,60,000See 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
2018-02-06Inlet22.9257.64002501012.72.9915.62.110.4141,600
2018-02-06Outlet22.630843124669.76.72322.210.315.41,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.4%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
0.68 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Government agencies and private owners

See source
Taken for

Buildings & road

See source
Where it is encroached

On the east and north-west side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage waste

See source
Land within 500 m

80% built, 10% trees, 6% crops, 2% grass, 1% bare ground

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
Koramangala-Challaghatta

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Overflows into

Chunchanaghatta Kere

See source
Catchment
0.9 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, 1 culvert, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Cattle feeding, fishing and washing

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Sarakki 5MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

2.5 km away, treats 5 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
75 species

Most seen: White-throated Kingfisher, Spotted Dove, Black Kite, Rock Pigeon and House Crow.

536 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
80 species

541 records, 2016 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
1
  • Asoka-tree near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
26 times

16 species, 15 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: White-throated Kingfisher, Rusty Darner, Eastern Cattle-Egret, Pied Kingfisher and Plain Tiger Butterfly.

Last seen Aug 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent and submerged

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Settlement, vacant land & apartment

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 44
Harinagar

ಹರಿನಗರ

Bengaluru South corporation, Bangalore South assembly seat

See source
Village
Kottunur

Uttarahalli hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

54

See source
Height above sea level
939 m
See source
Coordinates

12.8737° N, 77.5795° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
138
2018 lake survey
BUBSUHkot_kr1-1351
Lake Development Authority
LDA312
KGIS tank map
1055
Water bodies census
2/12/002/276600/1302866/003
City lake monitoring site
113