Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Rachenahalli Lake

ರಾಚೇನಹಳ್ಳಿ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Rachenahalli kere, Rajarhalli Kere

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

See it on the map
Size
97.8 acresAbout 55 football pitches
Rank by size
77th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Hebbal
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
0.6% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 10% encroached.
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 41% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 62% 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. 2012

    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 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

    10% encroached, clean, 131 acres surveyed

    See source

  10. 2023-2026

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

    Jul 2023 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  11. 2024

    On the state's list of Bengaluru lakes, looked after by BBMP

    See source

  12. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 56% open water
    • 44% floating weed
    • 0.6% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 75% open water
    • 22% floating weed
    • 3% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
97.8 acres

About 55 football pitches

See source
Land records
76.0 acres

About 43 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
131 acres

About 74 football pitches

See source
End to end
1.2 km

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 34 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 14 months. Fit only for irrigation: 20 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
What pollutes it, 2018

Sewage & H. defec.

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the north and west

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, Jul 2026. Too low to measure: boron, carbonate, nitrite, phenolphthalein alkalinity, kjeldahl nitrogen

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C25
Dissolved oxygenmg/L4
pH8
ConductivityµS/cm1,034
BODmg/L4
Nitratemg/L as N3.9
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL3,200
Total coliformMPN/100mL9,400
Bicarbonatemg/L240
TurbidityNTU20
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3240
Chloridemg/L180
CODmg/L40
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.4
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3280
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3148
Calciummg/L59.2
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3132
Magnesiummg/L32.1
Sulphatemg/L45
Sodiummg/L98
Dissolved solidsmg/L700
Suspended solidsmg/L30
Phosphatemg/L0.31
Potassiummg/L9
Fluoridemg/L0.34
Sodium share%34
Sodium adsorption ratio2.5
Orthophosphatemg/L1.15

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D443,2009,400See source
Jun 2026E282,70013,000See source
May 2026E3.295804,300See source
Apr 2026E1.5394,90012,000See source
Mar 2026E1.1482,3007,000See source
Feb 2026E2.1582,10054,000See source
Jan 2026E3163,2009,400See source
Dec 2025E1.8174,90012,000See source
Nov 2025E2.5401,7007,000See source
Oct 2025D5.963109,200See source
Sep 2025D5.952601,500See source
Jul 2025E1.7412,00012,000See source
Jun 2025E2.2242601,500See source
May 2025E91,7004,600See source
Apr 2025D4.9164,30014,000See source
Mar 2025E1.2172,60014,000See source
Feb 2025E1.2221,70013,000See source
Jan 2025E1.5197804,900See source
Dec 2024D672104,300See source
Nov 2024D5.482104,300See source
Oct 2024E3161,30011,000See source
Sep 2024D7.252103,500See source
Aug 2024D4.873,10011,000See source
Jul 2024D743103,500See source
Jun 2024D843,90014,000See source
May 2024E0.4292,40014,000See source
Mar 2024E3171,2007,900See source
Feb 2024E3.1183,30017,000See source
Jan 2024E3104,00017,000See source
Dec 2023D4.68.143,0005,40,000See source
Oct 2023D4.257009,200See source
Sep 2023D4.562,20024,000See source
Aug 2023E3.1174,60092,000See source
Jul 2023D574,60054,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Rachenahalli Lake, LakeLowest253.16.641340.473,30024,000See source
2021Rachenahalli Lake, LakeHighest256.78.51,236234.61,50,00016,00,000See source

Inlet and outlet tests, 2017-18 lake survey

DateWhereWater temperature°CLight transparencycmpHConductivityµS/cmDissolved solidsmg/LSuspended solidsmg/LTurbidityNTUDissolved oxygenmg/LCODmg/LBODmg/LKjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as NTotal coliformMPN/100mL
2017-11-30Inlet22.878.499066068444.66422421,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.6%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
27.4 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Government agencies and the public

See source
Taken for

Institutions-JNCASR, MGIRED, road & house

See source
Where it is encroached

On the north and north-west side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage & construction debris

See source
Other problems noted

As per RTC, Sy.No.82 is in name of individual & others

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

57% built, 20% trees, 14% crops, 5% shrubs, 2% grass, 0.9% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

BBMP

See source
City work on the lake
Developed
See source
City zone
Yelahanka
See source
City lake page

Open its page on the city’s lake monitoring site

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
93.7 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rainfall & drain

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

2 inlet drains, 2 overflow weirs, no sluice gates, 2 culverts, no check dams and 1 island

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Cattle feeding, boating and washing

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Rachenahalli 10MLD Sewage Treatment Planet

603 m away, treats 10 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
146 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Indian Pond-Heron, Brahminy Kite, Asian Koel and Rose-ringed Parakeet.

10,358 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
190 species

10,414 records, 2012 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
5
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • Greater spotted eagle vulnerable
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • River Tern vulnerable
  • Indian Spotted Eagle near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
451 times

187 species, 274 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Indian Pond-Heron, Eurasian Coot, Indian Spot-billed Duck, Great Cormorant and Gray-headed Swamphen.

Last seen Sep 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Fish, birds, butterflies and dragonflies

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent and free floating

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Buildings

See source

Photos

Rachenahalli Lake, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Rachenahalli Lake, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Rachenahalli Lake, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Rachenahalli Lake, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Rachenahalli Lake, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Rachenahalli Lake, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Rachenahalli Lake, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Rachenahalli Lake, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024
Rachenahalli Lake, photographed in 2024
Gpkp / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2024

Where it is

Ward 17
Jakkur

ಜಕ್ಕೂರು

Bengaluru North corporation, Byatarayanapura assembly seat

See source
Village
Rachenahalli

KR Puram hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

61 (Dasarahali), 82 (Jakkur), 69 (Racenahali)

See source
Height above sea level
901 m
See source
Coordinates

13.0626° N, 77.6131° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Wikidata

Q34920410

See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
54
2018 lake survey
BUBEKRrch_kr2-757
Lake Development Authority
LDA405
KGIS tank map
816
Water bodies census
2/12/002/253189/025976/008
City lake monitoring site
62