Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Madhure Kere

ಮಾಧಾರಿ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Madhari Kere

See it on the map
Size
609 acresAbout 345 football pitches
Rank by size
4th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Arkavathi
Who looks after it
Nobody on record looks after it
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Mar 2025
Built over
0.1% of the lakeSatellite land cover, 2021

Through the years

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

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1914 to 2026.

  1. 1914

    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. 1974

    On the survey map

    See source

  4. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

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

    1% of its water area has since gone dry; 20% is new water

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

    See sourceSee source

  5. 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

  6. 2023-2025

    Tested by the state board in 11 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Jul 2023 to Mar 2025

    See every testSee source

  7. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon; mostly dry or built in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 50% open water
    • 6% floating weed
    • 44% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 39% open water
    • 2% floating weed
    • 60% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

Drawn outline
609 acres

About 345 football pitches

See source
End to end
2.5 km

The longest straight line across the outline

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 Mar 2025

See source
Class each month, tested 11 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 11 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
Older tests
2 readings

From 2021

See source
Every reading
Show every reading

Latest test, Mar 2025. Too low to measure: boron, carbonate, nitrite, orthophosphate, phenolphthalein alkalinity, phosphate, kjeldahl nitrogen

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C28
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5.7
pH6.7
ConductivityµS/cm402
BODmg/L4
Nitratemg/L as N1.54
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL2,300
Total coliformMPN/100mL17,000
Bicarbonatemg/L132
TurbidityNTU33.3
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3132
Chloridemg/L28
CODmg/L42
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.4
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3212
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3164
Calciummg/L66
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO348
Magnesiummg/L12
Sodiummg/L9
Dissolved solidsmg/L274
Suspended solidsmg/L44
Potassiummg/L10
Fluoridemg/L0.31
Sodium share%8
Sodium adsorption ratio0.27

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Mar 2025D5.742,30017,000See source
Oct 2024D6.141,4004,800See source
Apr 2024D4.2793013,000See source
Mar 2024D6.251,7007,900See source
Feb 2024D4.2111,7009,400See source
Jan 2024D644,30022,000See source
Dec 2023D6.144,80092,000See source
Oct 2023D4.6104,30054,000See source
Sep 2023D5.8634054,000See source
Aug 2023D646,3001,60,000See source
Jul 2023D4.1102,60035,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Madhure Tank, TankLowest253.46.56430.34,90024,000See source
2021Madhure Tank, TankHighest256.36.8398182.11,10,00,0009,20,00,000See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.1%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Land within 500 m

66% crops, 15% trees, 14% shrubs, 4% built, 2% grass

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Nobody on record looks after it.

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

Hesaraghatta Kere East

See source
Catchment
142.7 km²

The land that drains into it

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
222 species

Most seen: Black Drongo, Red-wattled Lapwing, Common Myna, Pied Bushchat and Brahminy Kite.

24,666 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
241 species

24,691 records, 2005 to 2025

See source
Threatened species seen here
15
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • Greater spotted eagle vulnerable
  • Woolly-necked Stork near threatened
  • River Tern vulnerable
  • Rufous-tailed Lark near threatened
  • Common Pochard vulnerable
  • Black-tailed Godwit near threatened
  • Egyptian Vulture endangered
  • Tawny Eagle vulnerable
  • Eurasian Curlew near threatened
  • Pallid Harrier near threatened
  • Indian Spotted Eagle near threatened
  • Red-necked Falcon near threatened
  • Steppe Eagle endangered
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
152 times

81 species, 91 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Chalky Percher, Lesser Grass Blue, Ditch Jewel, Siam weed and Paddy Field Frog.

Last seen Sep 2026

See source

Around it

Nothing on record about what is around it.

Photos

Madhure Kere, photographed in 2016
Mike Prince from Bangalore, India / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2016
Madhure Kere, photographed in 2017
Mike Prince from Bangalore, India / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2017

Where it is

Greater Bengaluru
Outside the city limits
See source
Height above sea level
876 m
See source
Coordinates

13.2185° N, 77.4441° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Wikidata

Q34909636

See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
401
miTankId
KA21020040