Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Nagawara Lake

ನಾಗವಾರ ಕೆರೆ

Kere, a large tank, in Kempapura ward, Bengaluru North

See it on the map
Size
70.6 acresAbout 40 football pitches
Rank by size
114th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Hebbal
Who looks after it
KLCDAKarnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jan 2026
Built over
0.1% of the lakeSatellite land cover, 2021
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1905 to 1926, 1928 to 1954, 1956 to 1977 and 1979 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. 1927

    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. 1978

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 50% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0.5% of its water area has since gone dry; 13% 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

    Clean, 108 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 2023-2026

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

    Jul 2023 to Jan 2026

    See every testSee source

  10. 2025-2026

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

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 68% open water
    • 32% floating weed
    • 0.5% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 0.1% open water
    • 4% floating weed
    • 96% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
70.6 acres

About 40 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
108 acres

About 61 football pitches

See source
End to end
1.1 km

The longest straight line across the outline

See source
Deepest point, 2018
5 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 Jan 2026

See source
Class each month, tested 28 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 26 months. Fit only for irrigation: 2 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
2 readings

From 2021

See source
Inlet and outlet tests, 2017-18
1 readings
See source
Every reading
Show every reading

Latest test, Jan 2026. Too low to measure: boron, carbonate, nitrite, orthophosphate, phenolphthalein alkalinity, phosphate, kjeldahl nitrogen, suspended solids

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C24
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5.6
pH8
ConductivityµS/cm601
BODmg/L6
Nitratemg/L as N2.3
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL470
Total coliformMPN/100mL2,800
Bicarbonatemg/L140
TurbidityNTU5.1
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3140
Chloridemg/L96
CODmg/L60
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.4
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3160
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO380
Calciummg/L32
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO380
Magnesiummg/L19
Sulphatemg/L24
Sodiummg/L58
Dissolved solidsmg/L414
Potassiummg/L10
Fluoridemg/L0.22
Sodium share%42
Sodium adsorption ratio2

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jan 2026D5.664702,800See source
Dec 2025D6.142,70013,000See source
Nov 2025D5.551,4009,400See source
Oct 2025D5.463302,400See source
Sep 2025D5.952501,500See source
Jul 2025D4.581,40013,000See source
Jun 2025D5.383202,100See source
May 2025D5.182,3007,000See source
Apr 2025D6.452,10012,000See source
Mar 2025D4.943,1008,400See source
Feb 2025D573301,400See source
Jan 2025D6.672504,300See source
Dec 2024D6.16261,600See source
Nov 2024D6.351402,400See source
Oct 2024D5.26.93102,800See source
Sep 2024D6.962103,500See source
Aug 2024D5.962105,400See source
Jul 2024D7.291502,400See source
Jun 2024D7.866305,400See source
May 2024E1.2422,00017,000See source
Mar 2024E2.6252,10011,000See source
Feb 2024D5.643,3009,400See source
Jan 2024D4.673,2009,400See source
Dec 2023D57.27,00092,000See source
Oct 2023D6.1446016,000See source
Sep 2023D4.464809,200See source
Aug 2023D6.142,20024,000See source
Jul 2023D4.981,30024,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Nagavara Tank, TankLowest2516.530830.54,00024,000See source
2021Nagavara Tank, TankHighest257.187733537,90,00,00054,00,00,000See 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
2017-11-28Inlet25.6168.16323108145.8724171,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.1%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
6.95 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Other problems noted

Lake leased to M/s Lumbini Garden on 27.11.2004 for 15 yrs

See source
Land within 500 m

68% built, 25% trees, 4% crops, 2% shrubs, 1% grass, 1% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority

KLCDA

See source
Campaign pages
See source

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Hebbal

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Kalkere Kere

See source
Catchment
42.8 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, no culverts, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Park maintenance and boating

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Hebbal 60MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

417 m away, treats 60 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
74 species

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

658 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
82 species

666 records, 2005 to 2024

See source
Threatened species seen here
3
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • Pallid Harrier near threatened
  • River Tern vulnerable
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
19 times

14 species, 13 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Indian Pond-Heron, Common Myna, Common Kingfisher, Eastern Cattle-Egret and Winter Melon.

Last seen Dec 2025

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Fish, birds, butterflies and dragonflies

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent and floating

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Plantation, SEZ, apartments & NH 4

See source

Photos

Nagawara Lake, photographed in 2010
Rameshng / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010
Nagawara Lake, photographed in 2010
Rameshng / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010
Nagawara Lake, photographed in 2010
Rameshng / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2010
Nagawara Lake, photographed in 2019
leighklotz / CC BY 2.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2019

Where it is

Ward 18
Kempapura

ಕೆಂಪಾಪುರ

Bengaluru North corporation, Byatarayanapura assembly seat

See source
Village
Nagawara

Kasaba hobli, Bengaluru North taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

58 (Nagavara), 6, 12, 13 (Vishwanathnag.), 7, 8, 9, 11, 28, 29 (Hebbal Amanikere)

See source
Height above sea level
896 m
See source
Coordinates

13.0445° N, 77.6072° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Wikidata

Q49703505

See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
51
2018 lake survey
BUBNBKngw_kr2-63
Lake Development Authority
LDA382
KGIS tank map
775
Water bodies census
2/12/002/253189/025978/002