Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Machohalli Chikkere

Also called Machohalli kere

Kere, a large tank, in Machohalli village, Bengaluru North taluk

See it on the map
Size
21.3 acresAbout 12 football pitches
Rank by size
427th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Arkavathi
Who looks after it
ZPZilla Panchayat
Water quality
Fit only for irrigationTested Jul 2026
Built over
0% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 0.5% encroached.
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1905 to 1913, 1915 to 1954, 1956 to 1973 and 1975 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. 1914

    Not 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. 1974

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 24% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 63% 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. 2017-2018

    In the water bodies census, not marked as encroached

    This census's status marks are often wrong

    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

    0.5% encroached, muddy, 29.6 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 34 months, most often fit only for irrigation

    Aug 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

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

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 84% open water
    • 12% 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
21.3 acres

About 12 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
29.6 acres

About 17 football pitches

See source
End to end
465 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 34 times since Aug 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 7 months. Fit only for irrigation: 27 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
Muddy
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, phenolphthalein alkalinity

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C30
Dissolved oxygenmg/L1
pH6.6
ConductivityµS/cm804
BODmg/L33
Nitratemg/L as N2.9
Nitritemg/L as N0.68
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL8,400
Total coliformMPN/100mL15,000
Bicarbonatemg/L112
TurbidityNTU15.5
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3112
Chloridemg/L44
CODmg/L188
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N19
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N15
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3364
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3184
Calciummg/L73.6
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3180
Magnesiummg/L43.8
Sodiummg/L84
Dissolved solidsmg/L542
Suspended solidsmg/L20
Phosphatemg/L0.6
Potassiummg/L9
Fluoridemg/L0.33
Sodium share%33
Sodium adsorption ratio1.9
Orthophosphatemg/L1.4

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E1338,40015,000See source
Jun 2026E0.6442,20013,000See source
May 2026E1.3563,80015,000See source
Apr 2026E483,30011,000See source
Mar 2026E0.8904709,200See source
Feb 2026E1084709,200See source
Jan 2026E0.6691702,800See source
Dec 2025E0.8583103,500See source
Nov 2025E0.84221,00070,000See source
Oct 2025E2502,40017,000See source
Sep 2025D6.2517,00,00048,00,000See source
Aug 2025E2.1232603,500See source
Jul 2025E583102,200See source
Jun 2025E2.682601,700See source
May 2025E1.8261702,800See source
Apr 2025E402,6001,60,000See source
Mar 2025E1.81931016,000See source
Feb 2025E1743702,600See source
Jan 2025E281402,400See source
Dec 2024E2.5167804,800See source
Nov 2024D6.210261,600See source
Oct 2024E1.4181,40022,000See source
Sep 2024D4.3282,4004,800See source
Aug 2024E673203,500See source
Jul 2024D4.2102,10011,000See source
Jun 2024D5.692005,400See source
May 2024E1.7184105,400See source
Apr 2024E3202601,400See source
Mar 2024E12014,00046,000See source
Feb 2024E1.3241,7007,900See source
Jan 2024E3.2203203,500See source
Dec 2023D4.2634,0002,40,000See source
Oct 2023D57.27,90054,000See source
Aug 2023E2252,30024,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Machohalli Lake, LakeLowest250.36.338530.63,30024,000See source
2021Machohalli Lake, LakeHighest256.47.64,2001451112,00,00092,00,000See 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
2017-11-23Inlet26.5128.11,5661,2144726.64.6327.72.221900
2017-11-23Outlet27.5107.81,5421,3222529.35.8163.81.921500
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
1.20 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

The public

See source
Taken for

Road

See source
Where it is encroached

On the east side

See source
Land within 500 m

46% crops, 20% trees, 17% shrubs, 12% built, 5% grass

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Zilla Panchayat

ZP

See source
Campaign pages
See source

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Arkavathi

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Arkavathi river

See source
Catchment
11.8 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain feed

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

1 inlet drain, 1 overflow weir, 1 sluice gate, 1 culvert and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Irrigation, cattle feeding and fishing

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
22 species

Most seen: Rose-ringed Parakeet, Spot-billed duck, Gray Heron, Western Swamphen and Little Grebe.

30 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
22 species

30 records, 2020 to 2022

See source
Threatened species seen here
1
  • Indian Roller near threatened
See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds and butterflies

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent and floating

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Agriculture, settlement, plantation

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Greater Bengaluru
Outside the city limits
See source
Village
Machohalli

Dasanapura hobli, Bengaluru North taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

39 (Machohalli), 50 (Lakkenahalli)

See source
Height above sea level
848 m
See source
Coordinates

13.0124° N, 77.4546° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
309
2018 lake survey
BUBNDPmch_kr1-491
Lake Development Authority
LDA338
KGIS tank map
1194
Water bodies census
1/12/002/000002/000043/002