Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Mailasandra Kere

ಕೆಂಗೇರಿ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Kasaba Kengeri kere, Kengeri Lake

Kere, a large tank, in Kengeri ward, Bengaluru West

See it on the map
Size
20.6 acresAbout 12 football pitches
Rank by size
445th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Vrishabhavathi
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
0.7% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 3% encroached.

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1904 to 1913, 1915 to 1954, 1956 to 1972 and 1974 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1903 to 2026.

  1. 1903

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1914

    Not on the survey map

    See source

  3. 1955

    Not on the U.S. Army map

    Compiled from Survey of India maps of 1945-46

    See source

  4. 1973

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water until 2014

    Water in 3% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 19% is new water

    Floating weed looks like dry land to this record, so a weed-covered year can read as dry

    See sourceSee source

  6. 2000

    Restored

    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 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

  9. 2018

    Still there in the 2018 lake survey

    3% encroached, polluted, 32.4 acres surveyed

    See source

  10. 2024-2026

    Tested by the state board in 28 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Apr 2024 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

    • 8% open water
    • 77% floating weed
    • 15% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 1% open water
    • 92% floating weed
    • 7% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
20.6 acres

About 12 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
32.4 acres

About 18 football pitches

See source
End to end
648 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 28 times since Apr 2024
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 24 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
Polluted
See source
What pollutes it, 2018

Sewage

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the south-west and north-west

See source
Older tests
2 readings

From 2021

See source
Every reading
Show every reading

Latest test, Jul 2026. Too low to measure: boron, carbonate, orthophosphate, phenolphthalein alkalinity, phosphate, kjeldahl nitrogen

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C23
Dissolved oxygenmg/L4.9
pH7.3
ConductivityµS/cm808
BODmg/L12
Nitratemg/L as N2.9
Nitritemg/L as N0.05
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL3,300
Total coliformMPN/100mL11,000
Bicarbonatemg/L308
TurbidityNTU10.3
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3308
Chloridemg/L116
CODmg/L92
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.97
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3228
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3116
Calciummg/L46.4
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3112
Magnesiummg/L27.2
Sulphatemg/L25
Sodiummg/L85
Dissolved solidsmg/L558
Suspended solidsmg/L14
Potassiummg/L9
Fluoridemg/L0.24
Sodium share%44
Sodium adsorption ratio2.4

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D4.9123,30011,000See source
Jun 2026E1.2163402,400See source
May 2026D4.688401,500See source
Apr 2026D5.687002,800See source
Mar 2026D1.7264004,300See source
Feb 2026D5.2439920See source
Jan 2026D5.264003,500See source
Dec 2025D4.5743920See source
Nov 2025D5.553804,300See source
Oct 2025D64261,600See source
Sep 2025D7.353201,500See source
Aug 2025E3.2232404,300See source
Jul 2025D5.962502,800See source
Jun 2025D5.661,7007,900See source
May 2025D5.28261,600See source
Apr 2025D5.883202,800See source
Mar 2025D5.852502,800See source
Feb 2025D5.152,4004,800See source
Jan 2025D4.272302,400See source
Dec 2024D5.751404,300See source
Nov 2024D642202,800See source
Oct 2024D7.142302,400See source
Sep 2024E6.3433920See source
Aug 2024D6.1414240See source
Jul 2024D652009,200See source
Jun 2024D582403,500See source
May 2024E2.3202603,500See source
Apr 2024D4.183201,700See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Kengeri Tank, TankLowest251.36.528930.593,30024,000See source
2021Kengeri Tank, TankHighest257.67.71,389406.39,40,00054,00,000See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.7%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
1.02 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Government agencies and private owners

See source
Taken for

Road & compound wall

See source
Where it is encroached

On the east and west side

See source
Dumped in it

Construction debris, garbage & burning waste

See source
Land within 500 m

70% built, 22% trees, 4% crops, 2% shrubs, 1% grass, 0.8% water, 0.5% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

BBMP

See source

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Vrishabhavathi

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Overflows into

Vrishabhavathi River

See source
Catchment
0.1 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain fed

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

2 inlet drains, 1 overflow weir, 1 sluice gate, no culverts, no check dams and 4 islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Cattle feeding and irrigation

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Vrishabhavathi Valley 180MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

313 m away, treats 180 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
80 species

Most seen: Rock Pigeon, Western Swamphen, Black Kite, Indian Peafowl and Indian Pond-Heron.

1,029 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
83 species

1,032 records, 1992 to 2026

See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
18 times

13 species, 8 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Signature Spider, Chinese violet, Tropical Tent-web Spider, Common Fruit-piercing Moth and Eurasian Coot.

Last seen Aug 2026

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

Settlement, vacant land, agriculture, KSTRC bus stop, shed & apartment

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 21
Kengeri

ಕೆಂಗೇರಿ

Bengaluru West corporation, Yeshwanthapura assembly seat

See source
Village
Kengeri

Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

15 (Kasaba Kengeri), 85 (Valagerehalli)

See source
Height above sea level
789 m
See source
Coordinates

12.9151° N, 77.4866° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
335
2018 lake survey
BUBSKGkng_kr1-1220
KGIS tank map
1235
Water bodies census
2/12/002/276600/1302831/001