Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Madavara Kere

ಅಂಚೇಪಾಳ್ಯ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Jindal Lake, Thirumalapura kere, Anchepalya Lake

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

See it on the map
Size
46.8 acresAbout 27 football pitches
Rank by size
194th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Arkavathi
Who looks after it
BDABangalore Development Authority
Water quality
Fit only for irrigationTested Jul 2026
Built over
0% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 12% encroached.

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1908 to 1913, 1915 to 1954, 1956 to 1973 and 1975 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1907 to 2026.

  1. 1907

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1914

    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 every year

    Water in 35% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0.4% of its water area has since gone dry; 51% 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. 1986

    Listed among green belt tanks by the Lakshman Rau committee

    Printed as Madavara tank, tank 516

    24.4 ha, as printed in the 1986 report

    Among the tanks between Mysore Road and Tumkur Road, Nelamangala taluk

    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 every year

    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

    12% encroached, green water, 71.8 acres surveyed

    See source

  10. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 35 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Jul 2023 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  11. 2025-2026

    Mostly floating weed after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 11% open water
    • 55% floating weed
    • 33% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 37% open water
    • 54% 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
46.8 acres

About 27 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
71.8 acres

About 41 football pitches

See source
End to end
864 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 35 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 18 months. Fit only for irrigation: 17 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
Green water
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/cm808
BODmg/L35
Nitratemg/L as N2.9
Nitritemg/L as N0.68
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL4,900
Total coliformMPN/100mL9,400
Bicarbonatemg/L108
TurbidityNTU15.3
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3108
Chloridemg/L44
CODmg/L184
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N20
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N16
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3356
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3180
Calciummg/L72
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3176
Magnesiummg/L42.8
Sulphatemg/L134
Sodiummg/L85
Dissolved solidsmg/L540
Suspended solidsmg/L20
Phosphatemg/L0.59
Potassiummg/L9
Fluoridemg/L0.32
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 2026E1354,9009,400See source
Jun 2026D4.973902,800See source
May 2026D4.262401,700See source
Apr 2026D4.887001,500See source
Mar 2026E2283,40013,000See source
Feb 2026D5.267902,100See source
Jan 2026E1.7281,7007,000See source
Dec 2025D4.482,20013,000See source
Nov 2025D6.444,9009,400See source
Oct 2025E2.6183405,400See source
Sep 2025E3.22131,0001,10,000See source
Aug 2025D4.581703,500See source
Jul 2025D6.243102,800See source
Jun 2025E2.292,00012,000See source
May 2025E122,6009,400See source
Apr 2025E324,60035,000See source
Mar 2025E3105603,900See source
Feb 2025E3.3219207,000See source
Jan 2025D6.466804,800See source
Dec 2024D4.682202,800See source
Nov 2024E3.2161,4007,000See source
Oct 2024D4.8921094,000See source
Sep 2024D5.142,40017,000See source
Aug 2024E2.8192,1009,400See source
Jul 2024E3.3201703,500See source
Jun 2024D682403,500See source
May 2024E3.3262205,400See source
Apr 2024E0.9541,2007,900See source
Mar 2024D4.482,1009,400See source
Feb 2024D6.261,7004,800See source
Jan 2024E3.1232,70013,000See source
Dec 2023D4.276,30054,000See source
Oct 2023E624609,200See source
Aug 2023D4.6848016,000See source
Jul 2023D4.543,30054,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Madavara Tank, TankLowest253.46.221320.562,30024,000See source
2021Madavara Tank, TankHighest256.67.61,240133.84,60,00035,00,000See 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
2017-11-23Inlet25.897.241418450113.44.896230.27900
2017-11-23Outlet26.28844421416885.43.66415.414220
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
9.78 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Jindal Organisation and government agencies

See source
Taken for

Hospital, road & layout

See source
Where it is encroached

On the south-west and east side

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

43% built, 28% trees, 21% crops, 4% grass, 4% shrubs, 0.6% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Bangalore Development Authority

BDA

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
15 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 and 2 islands

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Nagasandra Phase I 20MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

1.6 km away, treats 20 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
73 species

Most seen: Little Cormorant, Little Egret, Brahminy Kite, Great Cormorant and Indian Pond-Heron.

380 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
74 species

381 records, 2017 to 2024

See source
Threatened species seen here
3
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • Black-tailed Godwit near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
2 times

1 species, 1 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Saw-scaled Viper.

Last seen Oct 2021

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Fish and birds

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Jindal Hospital, agriculture, plantation, buildings & lorry stand

See source

Photos

Madavara Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Madavara Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Madavara Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Madavara Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Madavara Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025
Madavara Kere, photographed in 2025
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2025

Where it is

Greater Bengaluru
Outside the city limits
See source
Village
Madhavara

Dasanapura hobli, Bengaluru North taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

48 (Madavara), 21 (Chikkabidarakallu), 98 (Doddabidarakallu), 32 (Thirumalapura)

See source
Height above sea level
860 m
See source
Coordinates

13.0513° N, 77.4799° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
310
2018 lake survey
BUBNDPmdv_kr1-493
Lake Development Authority
LDA340
KGIS tank map
1191
Water bodies census
1/12/002/000002/000169/001