Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Lalbagh Kere

ಲಾಲ್‌ಬಾಗ್ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Lalbhagh kere, Lalbagh Tank

Kere, a large tank, in Ashoka Pillar ward, Bengaluru Central

See it on the map
Size
34.4 acresAbout 19 football pitches
Rank by size
261st largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta
Who looks after it
Horticulture Department
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
0% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 5% encroached.

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1905 to 1944, 1946 to 1954, 1956 to 1979 and 1981 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. 1945

    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. 1980

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water every year

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

    3% of its water area has since gone dry; 21% is new water

    4 years not counted: the satellite saw under half the lake

    See sourceSee source

  6. 1986

    Listed as a disused tank by the Lakshman Rau committee

    Printed as Lalbagh tank, tank 281

    12.9 ha, as printed in the 1986 report

    Among the tanks between Hosur Road and Mysore Road

    Condition
    “The tank is located inside the premises of Lalbegh & is maintained by Horticulture Dept”
    Land use the 1984 development plan proposed
    “Watersheet totems (ins ide regional park)”
    What the committee recommended
    “No comments”

    Quoted from a scan of the report, so the words may carry reading errors

    See source

  7. 2017-2025

    Mostly water every year

    About three in four of these readings are right, so trust what holds for several years

    See source

  8. 2018

    Still there in the 2018 lake survey

    5% encroached, clean, 37.4 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 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

  10. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 80% open water
    • 18% floating weed
    • 3% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 79% open water
    • 17% 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
34.4 acres

About 19 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
37.4 acres

About 21 football pitches

See source
End to end
677 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: 32 months. Fit only for irrigation: 4 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
3 readings

From 2011 and 2021

See sourceSee 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, kjeldahl nitrogen

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C29
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5.1
pH7.5
ConductivityµS/cm642
BODmg/L5
Nitratemg/L as N2.46
Nitritemg/L as N0.07
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL580
Total coliformMPN/100mL4,300
Bicarbonatemg/L150
TurbidityNTU26.1
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3150
Chloridemg/L20
CODmg/L52
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.4
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3150
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3110
Calciummg/L44
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO340
Magnesiummg/L9.7
Sulphatemg/L40
Sodiummg/L64
Dissolved solidsmg/L442
Suspended solidsmg/L34
Phosphatemg/L0.65
Potassiummg/L6
Fluoridemg/L0.36
Sodium share%47
Sodium adsorption ratio2.28
Orthophosphatemg/L1.54

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D5.155804,300See source
Jun 2026D644702,800See source
May 2026D5.353903,500See source
Apr 2026E2135805,400See source
Mar 2026E1404705,400See source
Feb 2026D5.863402,400See source
Jan 2026D5.752402,100See source
Dec 2025D5.464,9005,400See source
Nov 2025D6.442101,700See source
Oct 2025D5.451403,500See source
Sep 2025D5.272103,500See source
Aug 2025E2.4561402,400See source
Jul 2025D5.462604,300See source
Jun 2025D5.291702,800See source
May 2025D5.663103,500See source
Apr 2025D5.882,4004,800See source
Mar 2025D5.662,10012,000See source
Feb 2025D5.891102,400See source
Jan 2025D5.241,7007,900See source
Dec 2024D6.942,60015,000See source
Nov 2024D6.561,7009,400See source
Oct 2024D7.143,30013,000See source
Sep 2024D4.692102,800See source
Aug 2024D5.542605,400See source
Jul 2024D4.792,1007,000See source
Jun 2024D5.871,7007,900See source
May 2024D4.483103,500See source
Apr 2024D5.151,70013,000See source
Mar 2024D4.4414,00049,000See source
Feb 2024D5.5447920See source
Jan 2024D5.184,6009,400See source
Dec 2023D6.664,60054,000See source
Oct 2023D4.282,20024,000See source
Sep 2023D4.1104,60035,000See source
Aug 2023D4.1123,90092,000See source
Jul 2023E3.1133309,200See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingChloridePhosphateSuspended solidsmg/LDissolved oxygenmg/LNitratemg/L as NTotal hardnessFluoridepHZincManganeseWater temperature°CConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2011Lalbagh Kere, Inlet670.0143.54.82.141360.5390.050.03See source
2021Lalbagh Tank, TankLowest2.66.62539730.613,10024,000See source
2021Lalbagh Tank, TankHighest6.98.12550928349,0005,40,000See 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
2017-11-28Inlet25.5268.245231616127.2529171,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
37.3 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

The public and private owners

See source
Taken for

Road & RV. teachers college

See source
Where it is encroached

On the south side

See source
Other problems noted

Park

See source
Land within 500 m

56% built, 40% trees, 2% shrubs, 1% crops, 1% grass, 0.5% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Horticulture Department
See source

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Overflows into

Koramangala Kere

See source
Catchment
1.2 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain fed

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

No inlet drains, 1 overflow weir, no sluice gates, no culverts, no check dams and 1 island

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Park maintenance

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Lalbagh Sewage Treatment Plant

208 m away, treats 1.5 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
163 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Indian Pond-Heron, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Little Cormorant and Common Myna.

16,574 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
279 species

16,800 records, 1979 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
6
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • Bonnet macaque vulnerable
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • River Tern vulnerable
  • Indian flapshell turtle vulnerable
  • Queen Sago endangered
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
1,654 times

283 species, 839 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Indian Pond-Heron, Little Cormorant, Indian Red Bug, Gray-headed Swamphen and Indian Spot-billed Duck.

Last seen Aug 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds, butterflies, dragonflies and tortoises

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Lalbagh park

See source

Photos

Lalbagh Kere, photographed in 2022
Yercaud-elango / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2022
Lalbagh Kere, photographed in 2022
Yercaud-elango / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2022
Lalbagh Kere, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Lalbagh Kere, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Lalbagh Kere, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Lalbagh Kere, photographed in 2010
Darren Foreman from Surbiton, England / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010
Lalbagh Kere, photographed in 2010
Darren Foreman from Surbiton, England / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010
Lalbagh Kere, photographed in 2010
Darren Foreman from Surbiton, England / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010
Lalbagh Kere, photographed in 2010
Darren Foreman from Surbiton, England / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010

Where it is

Ward 40
Ashoka Pillar

ಅಶೋಕ ಪಿಲ್ಲರ್‌

Bengaluru Central corporation, Chickpet assembly seat

See source
Village
Upparahalli

Kasaba hobli, Bengaluru North taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

2

See source
Height above sea level
918 m
See source
Coordinates

12.9461° N, 77.5841° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
141
2018 lake survey
BUBNBKupr_kr1-76
Lake Development Authority
LDA331
KGIS tank map
996