Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Siddapura Kere

ತೂಬರಹಳ್ಳಿ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Thubarahalli lake, Siddapura Lake

Kere, a large tank, in Kundalahalli ward, Bengaluru East

See it on the map
Size
17.7 acresAbout 10 football pitches
Rank by size
500th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for irrigationTested Jul 2026
Built over
0.7% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 10% encroached.
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1904 to 1944, 1946 to 1954, 1956 to 1979 and 1981 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. 1945

    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. 1980

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 32% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    6% of its water area has since gone dry; 2% is new water

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

    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

    10% encroached, sewage, 27.9 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 36 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Jul 2023 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  10. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 92% open water
    • 1% floating weed
    • 6% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 83% open water
    • 0.9% floating weed
    • 16% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
17.7 acres

About 10 football pitches

See source
Land records
27.9 acres

About 16 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
27.9 acres

About 16 football pitches

See source
End to end
479 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 irrigation

Fit only for irrigation, cooling and waste disposal. Class E on the state board’s scale from A, the cleanest, to E.

Tested Jul 2026

See source
Class each month, tested 36 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 23 months. Fit only for irrigation: 13 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
Sewage
See source
What pollutes it, 2018

Sewage

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the north

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

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C25
Dissolved oxygenmg/L2.5
pH7.8
ConductivityµS/cm840
BODmg/L12
Nitratemg/L as N3.2
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL31,000
Total coliformMPN/100mL84,000
Bicarbonatemg/L192
TurbidityNTU6
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3192
Chloridemg/L144
CODmg/L120
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N2.73
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N2.1
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3228
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3124
Calciummg/L49.6
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3104
Magnesiummg/L25.3
Sulphatemg/L37
Sodiummg/L80
Dissolved solidsmg/L566
Suspended solidsmg/L12
Phosphatemg/L0.25
Potassiummg/L6
Fluoridemg/L0.33
Sodium share%34
Sodium adsorption ratio2.3
Orthophosphatemg/L0.74

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E2.51231,00084,000See source
Jun 2026E2.7114704,300See source
May 2026D4.772401,700See source
Apr 2026E1.8262,20013,000See source
Mar 2026D5.1579920See source
Feb 2026E1.8352,6007,000See source
Jan 2026E3.3212404,300See source
Dec 2025E1.5202,1005,800See source
Nov 2025E1.9284905,400See source
Oct 2025E3.3402603,500See source
Sep 2025D5.37311,600See source
Aug 2025D6.25321,600See source
Jul 2025D4.581703,500See source
Jun 2025D4.361402,400See source
May 2025D4.47211,600See source
Apr 2025D6.152303,500See source
Mar 2025E23194675See source
Feb 2025D5.2611,000See source
Jan 2025D5.8101,7007,900See source
Dec 2024D5.973303,500See source
Nov 2024D6.363202,800See source
Oct 2024D4.271,7002,400See source
Sep 2024D5.683,90022,000See source
Aug 2024E2.92133920See source
Jul 2024D5.862605,400See source
Jun 2024E2.1196,80,00031,00,000See source
May 2024E1.22993,0004,90,000See source
Apr 2024D4.472103,500See source
Mar 2024D4.481,3007,000See source
Feb 2024E3.1181,3007,900See source
Jan 2024D6.147002,800See source
Dec 2023D6.246,30092,000See source
Oct 2023D5.465,80092,000See source
Sep 2023D4.687,00092,000See source
Aug 2023D4.4958016,000See source
Jul 2023D4.34.34,00035,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Tubrahalli Lake, LakeLowest250.36.71,10970.49,40054,000See source
2021Tubrahalli Lake, LakeHighest254.88.11,59381313,0001,60,000See 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
2017-12-04Inlet26.257.51,00086036264.1768414350
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.7%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
1.30 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Farmers

See source
Taken for

Agriculture

See source
Where it is encroached

On the north-east and south-east side

See source
Dumped in it

Construction debris

See source
Other problems noted

Borwell & the lake water used for Agriculture

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

60% built, 16% crops, 13% trees, 5% shrubs, 4% grass, 3% 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
Work in progress
See source
City zone
Mahadevapura
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
Koramangala-Challaghatta

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Varthur Lake

See source
Catchment
3.8 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, 1 sluice gate, 1 culvert, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Irrigation

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Sewage Treatment Plant

1.5 km away

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
133 species

Most seen: Indian Pond-Heron, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Black Kite, Ashy Prinia and Rock Pigeon.

18,484 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
135 species

18,487 records, 2014 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
3
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • River Tern vulnerable
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
2,163 times

377 species, 1,621 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Black Drongo, Chestnut-tailed Starling, White-browed Wagtail, Eastern Red-rumped Swallow and Ashy Woodswallow.

Last seen Jun 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Fish, birds and butterflies

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Free floating

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Agriculture, vacant land, brick factory, building, poultry shed & graveyard

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 37
Kundalahalli

ಕುಂದಲಹಳ್ಳಿ

Bengaluru East corporation, Mahadevapura assembly seat

See source
Village
Siddapura

Varthuru hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

18

See source
Height above sea level
874 m
See source
Coordinates

12.9589° N, 77.7256° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
154
2018 lake survey
BUBEVRsdp_kr8-625
Lake Development Authority
LDA419
KGIS tank map
717
Water bodies census
2/12/002/276600/1302816/001
City lake monitoring site
208