Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Somasundrapalya Lake

ಸೋಮಸುಂದರಪಾಳ್ಯ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Kythasandra Govt. Lake, Somasundarapalya Lake

Kere, a large tank, in Hosapalya ward, Bengaluru South

See it on the map
Size
5.28 acresAbout 3 football pitches
Rank by size
1007th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
6% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 0.0% encroached.
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1914 to 1944, 1946 to 1979 and 1981 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1913 to 2026.

  1. 1913

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1945

    On the survey map

    See source

  3. 1980

    Not on the survey map

    See source

  4. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 25% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    0% of its water area has since gone dry; 43% is new water

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

    See sourceSee source

  5. 2017-2018

    In the water bodies census, not marked as encroached

    This census's status marks are often wrong

    See 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

    0.0% encroached, polluted, 16.7 acres surveyed

    See source

  8. 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

  9. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 100% open water
    • 0% floating weed
    • 0% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 100% open water
    • 0% floating weed
    • 0% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
5.28 acres

About 3 football pitches

See source
Land records
16.7 acres

About 9.5 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
16.7 acres

About 9.5 football pitches

See source
End to end
202 m

The longest straight line across the outline

See source
Deepest point, 2018
2.5 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 Jul 2026

See source
Class each month, tested 36 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 31 months. Fit only for irrigation: 5 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 east

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, orthophosphate, phenolphthalein alkalinity, phosphate, kjeldahl nitrogen, suspended solids

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C26
Dissolved oxygenmg/L5
pH7.1
ConductivityµS/cm702
BODmg/L5
Nitratemg/L as N2.8
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL330
Total coliformMPN/100mL2,400
Bicarbonatemg/L124
TurbidityNTU56
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3124
Chloridemg/L144
CODmg/L52
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.4
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO392
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO352
Calciummg/L20.8
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO340
Magnesiummg/L9.7
Sulphatemg/L124
Sodiummg/L58
Dissolved solidsmg/L476
Potassiummg/L2
Fluoridemg/L0.29
Sodium share%57
Sodium adsorption ratio2.65

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D553302,400See source
Jun 2026D563801,500See source
May 2026E1.2113,3007,900See source
Apr 2026D4.884601,700See source
Mar 2026D5.664305,400See source
Feb 2026D5.664302,800See source
Jan 2026E1.9293302,100See source
Dec 2025D5.544905,400See source
Nov 2025D6.554303,500See source
Oct 2025D5.552401,700See source
Sep 2025D5.6626350See source
Aug 2025D642603,500See source
Jul 2025D592604,300See source
Jun 2025D642601,700See source
May 2025D4.982101,700See source
Apr 2025E3.1101702,800See source
Mar 2025D5.952201,300See source
Feb 2025D681703,500See source
Jan 2025D7.143102,800See source
Dec 2024D6.692502,100See source
Nov 2024D5.2122605,400See source
Oct 2024D462,20014,000See source
Sep 2024D5.452605,400See source
Aug 2024D5.8543920See source
Jul 2024D5.151,4007,900See source
Jun 2024D4.4121102,400See source
May 2024E1.6162,40014,000See source
Apr 2024E1.2293903,500See source
Mar 2024D4.472,1007,000See source
Feb 2024D4.1123,30024,000See source
Jan 2024D6.354,70054,000See source
Dec 2023D4.864305,400See source
Oct 2023D5.264,80035,000See source
Sep 2023D4.1134,00035,000See source
Aug 2023D4.584,80054,000See source
Jul 2023D6.444,80054,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Somasundra Palya Lake, LakeLowest252.86.62163.40.52,30024,000See source
2021Somasundra Palya Lake, LakeHighest256.97.61,323213.41,40,0009,20,000See 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
2018-01-1022.268.280474040734.348832351,600
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
6%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached by

The public

See source
Taken for

Temple

See source
Where it is encroached

On the north-west side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage dump, construction debris

See source
Other problems noted

Road is constructed on bund & apartment coming adjacent to the lake

See source
Land within 500 m

75% built, 11% trees, 6% crops, 4% grass, 3% shrubs, 0.6% bare ground, 0.5% water

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
Bommanahalli
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
Overflows into

Agara Lake

See source
Catchment
0.6 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, no overflow weirs, no sluice gates, no culverts, no check dams and no islands

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Chikkabeguru Sewage Treatment Plant

2.0 km away

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
51 species

Most seen: Rock Pigeon, Black Kite, Ashy Prinia, Indian Pond-Heron and Eurasian Coot.

129 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
52 species

130 records, 2015 to 2022

See source
Threatened species seen here
1
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
5 times

4 species, 3 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Grey Heron, Eurasian Moorhen, Sea Island Cotton and castor bean.

Last seen Oct 2022

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds

See source
Water plants, 2018 survey

Emergent

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Settlement & dumpyard

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 69
Hosapalya

ಹೊಸಪಾಳ್ಯ

Bengaluru South corporation, Bommanahalli assembly seat

See source
Village
Haralakunte

Begur hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

51

See source
Height above sea level
908 m
See source
Coordinates

12.8985° N, 77.6480° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
140
2018 lake survey
BUBSBGhrk_kr5-1440
Lake Development Authority
LDA322
KGIS tank map
975
Water bodies census
2/12/002/276600/1302862/001
City lake monitoring site
88