Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Sakalavara Govt. Kharabu Lake

Also called Sakalavara Lake

Kere, a large tank, in Sakalavara village, Anekal taluk

See it on the map
Size
20.5 acresAbout 12 football pitches
Rank by size
448th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Dakshina Pinakini
Who looks after it
ZPZilla Panchayat
Water quality
Not tested for water quality yet
Built over
4% of the lakeSatellite land cover, 2021

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1946 to 1954, 1958 to 1979 and 1981 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1945 to 2026.

  1. 1945

    On the survey map

    See source

  2. 1955

    Not on the U.S. Army map

    Compiled from Survey of India maps of 1945-46

    See source

  3. 1957

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  4. 1980

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

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

    7% of its water area has since gone dry; 12% is new water

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

    See sourceSee source

  6. 2017-2025

    Mostly water in most years

    About three in four of these readings are right, so trust what holds for several years

    See source

  7. 2018

    Still there in the 2018 lake survey

    Clean, 23.9 acres surveyed

    See source

  8. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 73% open water
    • 19% floating weed
    • 8% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 80% open water
    • 11% 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
20.5 acres

About 12 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
23.9 acres

About 14 football pitches

See source
End to end
590 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

State pollution board
Not tested by the state board
How it looked in 2018
Clean
See source
Inlet and outlet tests, 2017-18
1 readings
See source
Every reading
Show every reading

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
2018-01-0422.9227.62532024731289.082.8141,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
4%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
0.20 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Other problems noted

Borwell

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

32% built, 29% trees, 18% crops, 13% grass, 4% shrubs, 3% bare ground, 2% water

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Zilla Panchayat

ZP

See source

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Dakshina Pinakini

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Bhujangadasana Amanikere Govt Lake

See source
Catchment
2.3 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drain fed

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

3 inlet drains, 1 overflow weir, no sluice gates, no culverts, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Cattle feeding

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

STP

2.9 km away

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
123 species

Most seen: Little Grebe, Eurasian Coot, Indian Pond-Heron, Common Myna and Cotton Pygmy-Goose.

2,256 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
123 species

2,256 records, 2011 to 2024

See source
Threatened species seen here
2
  • River Tern vulnerable
  • Indian Roller near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
4 times

2 species, 1 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Medium Egret and coromandel boxwood.

Last seen Mar 2024

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds, butterflies and dragonflies

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent and rooted floating

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Factory, layout, agriculture, graveyard, godowns, vacant land, plantation, & temple

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Greater Bengaluru
Outside the city limits
See source
Village
Sakalavara

Jigani hobli, Anekal taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

93

See source
Height above sea level
918 m
See source
Coordinates

12.8262° N, 77.6063° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
315
2018 lake survey
BUAKJGskv_kr1-1104
Lake Development Authority
LDA410
KGIS tank map
1069