Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Kowdenahalli Kere

ಗಂಗಾದರ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Kowdenahalli Lake, Ganghadar Kere

Kere, a large tank, in Ramamurthy Nagara ward, Bengaluru East

See it on the map
Size
15.2 acresAbout 8.6 football pitches
Rank by size
561st largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Hebbal
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for irrigationTested Jul 2026
Built over
0% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 45% encroached.

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1928 to 1954, 1959 to 1977 and 1979 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1927 to 2026.

  1. 1927

    On the survey map

    See source

  2. 1955

    On the U.S. Army map

    Compiled from Survey of India maps of 1945-46

    See source

  3. 1958

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  4. 1978

    Not on the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water in 17 of 34 years

    Water in 9% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    2% of its water area has since gone dry; 24% 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. 2010

    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 water in most years

    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

    45% encroached, clean, 68.0 acres surveyed

    See source

  10. 2024

    On the state's list of Bengaluru lakes, looked after by BBMP

    See source

  11. 2024-2026

    Tested by the state board in 26 months, most often fit only for irrigation

    Jun 2024 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  12. 2025-2026

    Mostly floating weed after the monsoon; mostly open water in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 29% open water
    • 68% floating weed
    • 3% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 87% open water
    • 9% floating weed
    • 4% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
15.2 acres

About 8.6 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
68.0 acres

About 39 football pitches

See source
End to end
462 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 26 times since Jun 2024
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 11 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
Clean
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, nitrite

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C26
Dissolved oxygenmg/L2.2
pH8.5
ConductivityµS/cm5,860
BODmg/L58
Nitratemg/L as N21
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL8,400
Total coliformMPN/100mL12,000
Carbonatemg/L920
Bicarbonatemg/L160
TurbidityNTU27.7
Phenolphthalein alkalinitymg/L as CaCO38
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO31,000
Chloridemg/L1,300
CODmg/L312
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N44
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N35
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3420
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3230
Calciummg/L92
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3190
Magnesiummg/L46.2
Sulphatemg/L18
Sodiummg/L502
Dissolved solidsmg/L3,832
Suspended solidsmg/L34
Phosphatemg/L0.86
Potassiummg/L70
Fluoridemg/L0.47
Sodium share%68
Sodium adsorption ratio11
Orthophosphatemg/L2.3

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E2.2588,40012,000See source
Jun 2026E1.7187901,400See source
May 2026D5.254,90012,000See source
Apr 2026D5.462001,500See source
Mar 2026D4.562,2007,000See source
Feb 2026E2.5112101,700See source
Jan 2026E2.3243,30014,000See source
Dec 2025E1.592402,800See source
Nov 2025E2.7223305,400See source
Oct 2025E2.32214,0001,10,000See source
Sep 2025D5.953203,500See source
Aug 2025E2.2212,0009,400See source
Jul 2025D4.583,90021,000See source
Jun 2025E3.2222,6007,000See source
May 2025E2.1292,2007,900See source
Apr 2025E2.8301,3007,900See source
Mar 2025E2.4823,00049,000See source
Feb 2025D6.471,7007,000See source
Jan 2025D4.151202,400See source
Dec 2024D693302,400See source
Nov 2024E2.8132302,400See source
Oct 2024D4.572305,400See source
Sep 2024D5.672603,500See source
Aug 2024E2.2331,1004,800See source
Jul 2024D4.38241,600See source
Jun 2024E1.4231703,500See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Kowdhenahalli Lake, LakeLowest250.36.531350.32,60024,000See source
2021Kowdhenahalli Lake, LakeHighest25.16.58.33,370548.093,30,00024,00,000See 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
2017-11-29Inlet24.487.32721687430.21.217642.20.2934
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
37.6 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

The public and private owners

See source
Taken for

Houses, shed & school

See source
Where it is encroached

On the north-west and west side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage & construction debris

See source
Other problems noted

As per RTC, Sy.No.27/P1 , court stay onsanction of land of 10a to St. John Jr. College for Girls

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

48% trees, 42% built, 4% crops, 3% grass, 3% shrubs, 0.7% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

BBMP

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

Krishnarajapuram Kere

See source
Catchment
3.6 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

3 inlet drains, 1 overflow weir, 1 sluice gate, no culverts, no check dams and 1 island

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Fishing

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

KR Puram Phase I 20MLD Sewage Treatment Planet

1.0 km away, treats 20 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
93 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Common Myna, Indian Pond-Heron, Black Drongo and White-cheeked Barbet.

938 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
100 species

946 records, 2016 to 2024

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

13 species, 10 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Brazilian Dutchman's Pipe, crown flower, Danaid Eggfly, Catla and Indian Grey Hornbill.

Last seen Jul 2025

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Fish and birds

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Vacant land & houses

See source

Photos

Kowdenahalli Kere, photographed in 2022
Yercaud-elango / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2022
Kowdenahalli Kere, photographed in 2022
Yercaud-elango / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2022
Kowdenahalli Kere, photographed in 2022
Yercaud-elango / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2022
Kowdenahalli Kere, photographed in 2022
Yercaud-elango / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2022
Kowdenahalli Kere, photographed in 2022
Yercaud-elango / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2022
Kowdenahalli Kere, photographed in 2022
Yercaud-elango / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2022

Where it is

Ward 15
Ramamurthy Nagara

ರಾಮಮೂರ್ತಿ ನಗರ

Bengaluru East corporation, K.R. Pura assembly seat

See source
Village
Kowdenahalli (Kavudenahalli)

KR Puram hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

27 (Kowdenahalli), 97 (Krishnarajapura)

See source
Height above sea level
904 m
See source
Coordinates

13.0130° N, 77.6848° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
48
2018 lake survey
BUBEKRkwd_kr1-716
Lake Development Authority
LDA311
KGIS tank map
681
Water bodies census
2/12/002/253189/026023/001