Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Varthur Lake

Also called Varthur Amanikere, Vartūr Kere

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

See it on the map
Size
350 acresAbout 198 football pitches
Rank by size
10th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Koramangala-Challaghatta
Who looks after it
BDABangalore Development Authority
Water quality
Fit only for wildlife and fishTested Jul 2026
Built over
0.7% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 2% 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

    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 20% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    8% of its water area has since gone dry; 28% 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. 1986

    Listed among green belt tanks by the Lakshman Rau committee

    Printed as Amanikere, Varthur, tank 317

    180.4 ha, as printed in the 1986 report

    Among the tanks between Madras Road and Hosur Road, Bangalore South taluk

    See source

  7. 2017-2025

    Mostly plants or weed in most years

    Floating weed shows as crops or grass here, not as water

    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

    2% encroached, polluted, 445 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 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

  10. 2024

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

    See source

  11. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon and in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 71% open water
    • 25% floating weed
    • 4% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 56% open water
    • 24% floating weed
    • 20% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
350 acres

About 198 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
445 acres

About 252 football pitches

See source
End to end
2.5 km

The longest straight line across the outline

See source
Deepest point, 2018
3.5 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 34 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 17 months. Fit only for irrigation: 17 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 south 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, phosphate, kjeldahl nitrogen

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C26
Dissolved oxygenmg/L6.1
pH6.9
ConductivityµS/cm772
BODmg/L4
Nitratemg/L as N2.8
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL47
Total coliformMPN/100mL1,600
Bicarbonatemg/L240
TurbidityNTU6.3
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3240
Chloridemg/L104
CODmg/L44
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N0.4
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3196
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3104
Calciummg/L41.6
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO392
Magnesiummg/L22.4
Sulphatemg/L32
Sodiummg/L91
Dissolved solidsmg/L528
Suspended solidsmg/L12
Potassiummg/L8
Fluoridemg/L0.33
Sodium share%48
Sodium adsorption ratio1.9
Orthophosphatemg/L0.23

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026D6.14471,600See source
Jun 2026D649402,800See source
May 2026E1.5197004,300See source
Apr 2026D4.364803,500See source
Mar 2026D5.353904,300See source
Feb 2026E2.4173901,700See source
Jan 2026D5.954702,200See source
Dec 2025E2.6295,80012,000See source
Nov 2025D5.843804,300See source
Oct 2025D5.563801,700See source
Sep 2025E622601,500See source
Aug 2025D64110920See source
Jul 2025D5.463802,100See source
Jun 2025D5.863102,800See source
May 2025D4.5620920See source
Apr 2025E6311,00070,000See source
Mar 2025D362,70017,000See source
Feb 2025D4.288204,800See source
Jan 2025D6.441702,200See source
Dec 2024E2.4289302,200See source
Nov 2024E3.2182703,500See source
Oct 2024E1.2207009,200See source
Sep 2024D6.353303,500See source
Aug 2024E839,20,00046,00,000See source
Jul 2024D5.5621280See source
Apr 2024E1.2261,70,00017,00,000See source
Mar 2024E1.2811,4004,800See source
Feb 2024E3.5102,6004,800See source
Jan 2024E1.23023,00,00070,00,000See source
Dec 2023E1.22140,0003,50,000See source
Oct 2023E307,00,00054,00,000See source
Sep 2023D5.672,3003,50,000See source
Aug 2023E521,70,00,0002,40,00,000See source
Jul 2023E7317,00,0002,40,00,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Varthur Lake, LakeLowest250.36.57986111,0001,60,000See source
2021Varthur Lake, LakeHighest264.87.71,34760191,50,00,00,0001,60,00,00,000See source

Inlet and outlet tests, 2017-18 lake survey

DateWhereWater temperature°CpHConductivityµS/cmDissolved solidsmg/LSuspended solidsmg/LTurbidityNTUDissolved oxygenmg/LCODmg/LBODmg/LTotal phosphateKjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as NTotal coliformMPN/100mLSewage inflow
2017-12-04Inlet29.47.199078020104.1136142341,6004.202
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.7%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
8.43 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

The public and farmers

See source
Taken for

House & agriculture

See source
Where it is encroached

On the south-east, south and north side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage & construction debris

See source
Land within 500 m

34% built, 29% crops, 24% trees, 8% shrubs, 4% grass, 1% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Bangalore Development Authority

BDA

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

Kelavarapalli

See source
Catchment
268.8 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

6 inlet drains, 2 overflow weirs, 1 sluice gate, no culverts, no check dams and no islands

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Fishing and cattle feeding

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Bellandur Amani 90MLD Sewage Treatment Plant

2.7 km away, treats 90 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
217 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Black Drongo, Pied Bushchat, Indian Pond-Heron and Western Swamphen.

52,855 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
274 species

52,939 records, 1994 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
12
  • Greater spotted eagle vulnerable
  • Black-tailed Godwit near threatened
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • River Tern vulnerable
  • Red-necked Falcon near threatened
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • Black-capped Kingfisher vulnerable
  • Common Pochard vulnerable
  • Black-bellied Plover vulnerable
  • Woolly-necked Stork near threatened
  • Pallid Harrier near threatened
  • Caterpillar Slug endangered
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
1,391 times

252 species, 1,171 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Paddyfield Pipit, Wood Sandpiper, Western Marsh Harrier, Plain Prinia and Northern Shoveler.

Last seen Aug 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Fish, birds and butterflies

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

Agriculture, vacant land, plantation & buildings

See source

Photos

Varthur Lake, photographed in 2008
Rasool Varthur / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2008
Varthur Lake, photographed in 2014
Amol.Gaitonde / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2014
Varthur Lake, photographed in 2014
Amol.Gaitonde / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons, 2014

Where it is

Ward 40
Varthur

ವರ್ತೂರು

Bengaluru East corporation, Mahadevapura assembly seat

See source
Village
Bellandur Amanikere (P2)

Varthuru hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

319

See source
Height above sea level
871 m
See source
Coordinates

12.9487° N, 77.7394° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Wikidata

Q34933119

See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
159
2018 lake survey
BUBEVRbda_kr2-511
Lake Development Authority
LDA457
KGIS tank map
720