Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Whitefield Kere

ಶೀಲವಂತ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Sheelavantana kere, Sheelavathana Kere, Shilavanthana Kere

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

See it on the map
Size
11.2 acresAbout 6.3 football pitches
Rank by size
699th 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
0.5% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 18% encroached.
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1932 to 1979 and 1981 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1931 to 2026.

  1. 1931

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1980

    Not on the survey map

    See source

  3. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

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

    2% of its water area has since gone dry; 5% 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

  4. 2017-2018

    In the water bodies census, not marked as encroached

    This census's status marks are often wrong

    See source

  5. 2017-2025

    Mostly water every year

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

    See source

  6. 2018

    Still there in the 2018 lake survey

    18% encroached, green water, 19.8 acres surveyed

    Restored, year not recorded

    See source

  7. 2023-2026

    Tested by the state board in 36 months, most often fit only for irrigation

    Jul 2023 to Jul 2026

    See every testSee source

  8. 2024

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

    See source

  9. 2025-2026

    Mostly open water after the monsoon; mostly floating weed in the dry season

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 88% open water
    • 9% floating weed
    • 3% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 13% open water
    • 85% floating weed
    • 2% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
11.2 acres

About 6.3 football pitches

See source
Land records
19.8 acres

About 11 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
19.8 acres

About 11 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 36 times since Jul 2023
Fit only for wildlife and fish: 18 months. Fit only for irrigation: 18 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
Green water
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, phenolphthalein alkalinity

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C26
Dissolved oxygenmg/L3.2
pH7.1
ConductivityµS/cm759
BODmg/L20
Nitratemg/L as N2.6
Nitritemg/L as N0.12
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL430
Total coliformMPN/100mL4,300
Bicarbonatemg/L140
TurbidityNTU18.7
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3140
Chloridemg/L160
CODmg/L144
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N2.5
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N1.9
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3180
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO396
Calciummg/L38.4
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO384
Magnesiummg/L20.4
Sulphatemg/L14
Sodiummg/L62
Dissolved solidsmg/L510
Suspended solidsmg/L24
Phosphatemg/L0.61
Potassiummg/L10
Fluoridemg/L0.23
Sodium share%41
Sodium adsorption ratio2
Orthophosphatemg/L1.6

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E3.2204304,300See source
Jun 2026E2.5123103,500See source
May 2026D4.172702,400See source
Apr 2026D4.864803,500See source
Mar 2026E1.8323,40013,000See source
Feb 2026E1.96026280See source
Jan 2026E3.21770920See source
Dec 2025E1.1582,3009,400See source
Nov 2025E3181,7007,900See source
Oct 2025D6.243302,800See source
Sep 2025D5.863305,400See source
Aug 2025D5.293902,100See source
Jul 2025D5.649,30049,000See source
Jun 2025E2.8161,50017,000See source
May 2025E3221,4007,900See source
Apr 2025D5.874302,200See source
Mar 2025E572002,800See source
Feb 2025E902,1009,400See source
Jan 2025D4.681,4004,800See source
Dec 2024D5.261704,300See source
Nov 2024D5.9514920See source
Oct 2024E1.6182609,200See source
Sep 2024D5.2154,70028,000See source
Aug 2024E3.1192103,500See source
Jul 2024D5.882,10017,000See source
Jun 2024D4.1147,90011,000See source
May 2024E1902,2009,400See source
Apr 2024E1582,60011,000See source
Mar 2024D4.71014,00046,000See source
Feb 2024E1.8202,6007,000See source
Jan 2024E1.9204,00017,000See source
Dec 2023D4.945,80092,000See source
Oct 2023D5.465,80092,000See source
Sep 2023D4.683,30054,000See source
Aug 2023D4.2104,9001,60,000See source
Jul 2023E3134,00092,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LpHConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2021Whitefield Kere, LakeLowest240.36.649640.33,30024,000See source
2021Whitefield Kere, LakeHighest256.98.48896213.41,50,00016,00,000See 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
2017-11-29Inlet26.89852942667220.2163.80.1234
2017-11-29Outlet26.61184903686718.64163.80.12220
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
0.5%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
3.85 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Private owners

See source
Taken for

Houses & compound wall

See source
Where it is encroached

On the west and south side

See source
Dumped in it

Stone dump & garbage

See source
Other problems noted

As per RTC, Since 15 yrs, 28 houses for Panchayat Water Supply Employees houses andpumphouse, water tank are present. Likely encroachment from neighbours.

See source
Land within 500 m

63% built, 27% trees, 5% crops, 3% shrubs, 1% grass, 1% 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
Developed
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
6.6 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rainfall

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

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

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Fishing

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Sewage Treatment Plant

2.6 km away

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
93 species

Most seen: Indian Pond-Heron, Black Kite, Little Grebe, Purple-rumped Sunbird and Rock Pigeon.

2,552 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
108 species

2,571 records, 2010 to 2026

See source
Threatened species seen here
2
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • River Tern vulnerable
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
50 times

28 species, 26 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Kapok Tree, Mile-a-minute vine, Malabar nut, oleander and Stinking Passionflower.

Last seen Sep 2026

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Fish, birds and butterflies

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Houses, shed, vacant land & apartments

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Ward 38
Whitefield

ವೈಟ್‌ಫೀಲ್ಡ್

Bengaluru East corporation, Mahadevapura assembly seat

See source
Village
Whitefield

KR Puram hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

41

See source
Height above sea level
874 m
See source
Coordinates

12.9643° N, 77.7428° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
160
2018 lake survey
BUBEKRwhf_kr5-788
Lake Development Authority
LDA466
KGIS tank map
718
Water bodies census
2/12/002/253189/026055/001
City lake monitoring site
207