Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Sompura Govt.lake

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

See it on the map
Size
17.1 acresAbout 9.7 football pitches
Rank by size
515th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Vrishabhavathi
Who looks after it
BBMPBruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Water quality
Fit only for irrigationTested Jul 2026
Built over
0% of the lakeSatellite land cover, 2021

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1905 to 1954, 1956 to 1972 and 1974 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. 1955

    Not on the U.S. Army map

    Compiled from Survey of India maps of 1945-46

    See source

  3. 1973

    On the survey map

    See source

  4. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 18% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    3% of its water area has since gone dry; 12% is new water

    Floating weed looks like dry land to this record, so a weed-covered year can read as dry

    See sourceSee source

  5. 2015

    Restored

    See 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, 17.9 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 34 months, most often fit only for wildlife and fish

    Jul 2023 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  10. 2024

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

    See source

  11. 2025-2026

    Part open water, part floating weed after the monsoon; mostly dry or built in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 49% open water
    • 29% floating weed
    • 22% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

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

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
17.1 acres

About 9.7 football pitches

See source
Land records
18.5 acres

About 10 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
17.9 acres

About 10 football pitches

See source
End to end
457 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 34 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 25 months. Fit only for irrigation: 9 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
2 readings
See source
Every reading
Show every reading

Latest test, Jul 2026. Too low to measure: boron, carbonate, dissolved oxygen, nitrite, phenolphthalein alkalinity

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C27
pH8
ConductivityµS/cm1,202
BODmg/L58
Nitratemg/L as N4.5
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL3,100
Total coliformMPN/100mL70,000
Bicarbonatemg/L488
TurbidityNTU56.8
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3158
Chloridemg/L116
CODmg/L220
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N15
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N12
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3136
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO368
Calciummg/L27.2
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO368
Magnesiummg/L16.5
Sodiummg/L126
Dissolved solidsmg/L830
Suspended solidsmg/L60
Phosphatemg/L0.53
Potassiummg/L13
Fluoridemg/L0.48
Sodium share%64
Sodium adsorption ratio4.7
Orthophosphatemg/L1.2

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E583,10070,000See source
Jun 2026D5.157002,200See source
Mar 2026D5.642,2007,900See source
Feb 2026D6.244901,500See source
Jan 2026D6.248402,800See source
Dec 2025D6.253202,200See source
Nov 2025D5.453302,400See source
Oct 2025D6.143203,500See source
Sep 2025D5.863302,400See source
Aug 2025D4.272202,800See source
Jul 2025D4.9102404,300See source
Jun 2025D5.251401,700See source
May 2025E371,70013,000See source
Apr 2025E2.2293402,200See source
Mar 2025D6.551,7007,900See source
Feb 2025D5.752103,500See source
Jan 2025D6.541402,400See source
Dec 2024D6.851,70013,000See source
Nov 2024D5.562302,400See source
Oct 2024D5.952603,500See source
Sep 2024D5.661,70013,000See source
Aug 2024E2.4261,4004,800See source
Jul 2024E3.1112,6009,400See source
Jun 2024D6.24431,600See source
May 2024E292,1009,400See source
Apr 2024E306804,600See source
Mar 2024D4.891702,400See source
Feb 2024E2.2413,2009,400See source
Jan 2024D5.864,6009,400See source
Dec 2023D6.149,40092,000See source
Oct 2023E3.5174,80035,000See source
Sep 2023D4.64See source
Aug 2023D4.584,10054,000See source
Jul 2023D4.74.746016,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Sompura Lake, LakeLowest254.2723920.62,30024,000See source
2021Sompura Lake, LakeHighest25.17.27.753262.11,10,0009,20,000See 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
2018-02-06Inlet25.9128.37144981317.43.9262.76.761.871,600
2018-02-06Outlet25.2258.567248669.28.0315.61.430.916.8500
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

49% shrubs, 24% trees, 14% crops, 10% built, 3% grass

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
To be developed
See source
City zone
Rajarajeshwari Nagar
See source
City lake page

Open its page on the city’s lake monitoring site

See source

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Vrishabhavathi

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Somapura Kere

See source
Catchment
1.4 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, 1 culvert, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Washing

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Hemmigepura 13 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

2.2 km away, treats 13 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
126 species

Most seen: Red-wattled Lapwing, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Laughing Dove, Rose-ringed Parakeet and Brahminy Kite.

1,239 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
148 species

1,264 records, 2017 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
3
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • River Tern vulnerable
  • Rufous-tailed Lark near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
295 times

138 species, 200 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Purple Sunbird, Pied Bushchat, Green Sandpiper, Indian Robin and Small Minivet.

Last seen Jun 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Birds and butterflies

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Forest, vacant land, NICE road, layout, agriculture, graveyard & shed

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 52
Talagattapura

ತಲಘಟ್ಟಪುರ

Bengaluru South corporation, Yeshwanthapura assembly seat

See source
Village
Sompura

Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru South taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

11, 12

See source
Height above sea level
812 m
See source
Coordinates

12.8751° N, 77.4998° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
520
2018 lake survey
BUBSKGsmp_kr3-1298
KGIS tank map
1180
Water bodies census
2/12/002/276600/1302870/001
City lake monitoring site
130