Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Krishnarajapuram Kere

ವೆಂಗಯ್ಯನ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Vengaiahanakere, Vengayyana Lake, KR Puram Lake

Kere, a large tank, in K.R Pura ward, Bengaluru East

See it on the map
Size
39.2 acresAbout 22 football pitches
Rank by size
227th 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 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 24% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    49% of its water area has since gone dry; 0% 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. 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. 2018

    Still there in the 2018 lake survey

    Sewage, 64.9 acres surveyed

    Restored, year not recorded

    See source

  8. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 32 months, most often fit only for irrigation

    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 floating weed after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 24% open water
    • 69% floating weed
    • 8% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 10% open water
    • 84% floating weed
    • 6% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
39.2 acres

About 22 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
64.9 acres

About 37 football pitches

See source
End to end
878 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 32 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 6 months. Fit only for irrigation: 26 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
Sewage
See source
What pollutes it, 2018

Sewage

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the north-west

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, phenolphthalein alkalinity

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C26
Dissolved oxygenmg/L1.6
pH6.8
ConductivityµS/cm945
BODmg/L50
Nitratemg/L as N3.4
Nitritemg/L as N0.23
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL6,300
Total coliformMPN/100mL14,000
Bicarbonatemg/L312
TurbidityNTU56.6
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3312
Chloridemg/L120
CODmg/L264
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N27
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N21
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3232
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3124
Calciummg/L49.6
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3108
Magnesiummg/L26.3
Sulphatemg/L56
Sodiummg/L85
Dissolved solidsmg/L640
Suspended solidsmg/L66
Phosphatemg/L3
Potassiummg/L13
Fluoridemg/L0.34
Sodium share%43
Sodium adsorption ratio2.4
Orthophosphatemg/L8.4

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E1.6506,30014,000See source
Jun 2026E1.8164,9009,400See source
May 2026D5.572,40017,000See source
Apr 2026D5.853,1008,400See source
Mar 2026D5.152,10011,000See source
Feb 2026E2504702,200See source
Jan 2026E1.2284,60012,000See source
Dec 2025D653402,400See source
Nov 2025E2.5232601,700See source
Oct 2025E2.8183304,300See source
Sep 2025E1.9542102,400See source
Aug 2025E1.2263902,800See source
Jul 2025E2.2274,90028,000See source
Jun 2025E2.4442,0009,400See source
May 2025E1.5321,3006,300See source
Apr 2025E12014,00046,000See source
Mar 2025E2.263302,400See source
Feb 2025D5.4121402,200See source
Jan 2025E1.224211,600See source
Dec 2024E3222504,300See source
Nov 2024E1.1292603,500See source
Oct 2024E2.3503,30035,000See source
May 2024E1.34421350See source
Apr 2024E3.1182,60014,000See source
Mar 2024E3.1213203,500See source
Feb 2024E3.4212,40017,000See source
Jan 2024E0.42222,00049,000See source
Dec 2023E3.3139,4001,60,000See source
Oct 2023E1.82017,0002,40,000See source
Sep 2023E10063,0005,40,000See source
Aug 2023D4.844,00092,000See source
Jul 2023E2.95846,0003,50,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Vengaihnakere, TankLowest241.96.566720.82,30024,000See source
2021Vengaihnakere, TankHighest256.27.21,33081121,10,0009,20,000See 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
2017-11-29Inlet29.47.198288020124.6164142211,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
4.03 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage & construction debris

See source
Other problems noted

As per RTC, Sy.No9 land of 2.03.08 a-g is acquired for NH road

See source
Land within 500 m

76% built, 13% trees, 6% crops, 2% bare ground, 2% grass, 1% shrubs

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
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

Shegehalli Kere

See source
Catchment
6.4 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rainfall & drain

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

1 inlet drain, no overflow weirs, 1 sluice gate, 2 culverts, no check dams and 1 island

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Boating

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

KR Puram Phase I 20MLD Sewage Treatment Planet

673 m away, treats 20 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
65 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Rock Pigeon, Spotted Dove, White-cheeked Barbet and Common Myna.

946 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
67 species

948 records, 1992 to 2024

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

6 species, 6 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Eastern Cattle-Egret, Indian Pond-Heron, Flower Ant, Gray-headed Swamphen and Turkey Berry.

Last seen Feb 2024

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds and butterflies

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Buildings, vacant land, layout, graveyard, NH-4, park & temple

See source

Photos

Krishnarajapuram Kere, photographed in 2016
Krishnan Manbuabu / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2016
Krishnarajapuram Kere, photographed in 2012
Antony Grossy from Conoor, Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu State, India, India / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2012

Where it is

Ward 14
K.R Pura

ಕೆ ಆರ್ ಪುರ

Bengaluru East corporation, K.R. Pura assembly seat

See source
Village
Krishnaraja puram (Kasaba)

KR Puram hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

9 (K.R.Puram), 46 (Sannathammanahalli)

See source
Height above sea level
890 m
See source
Coordinates

13.0159° N, 77.6997° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
59
2018 lake survey
BUBEKRkrp_kr1-726
Lake Development Authority
LDA459
KGIS tank map
679
City lake monitoring site
174