Lakes of Bendakaluru

Satellite view: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics

Yellamallappashetti Kere

ಯೆಲ್ಲಮಲ್ಲಪ್ಪ ಚೆಟ್ಟಿ ಕೆರೆ

Also called Avalahali kere, Yellamallappa Chetty Lake, Veerenahalli Lake, Yellamallappchetti Lake, Yelemallappachetti Lake

Kere, a large tank, in Veerenahalli village, Bengaluru East taluk

See it on the map
Size
365 acresAbout 207 football pitches
Rank by size
9th largestOf 1,621 lakes that still exist
Valley
Hebbal
Who looks after it
MIMinor Irrigation Department
Water quality
Fit only for irrigationTested Jul 2026
Built over
2% of the lakeSatellite, 2021. The 2018 survey found 4% encroached.
Campaign
Residents are organising here

Through the years

Nothing on record for 1922 to 1926, 1928 to 1954, 1956 to 1977 and 1979 to 1983.

The records listed below, drawn on one line from 1921 to 2026.

  1. 1921

    Built

    As the 2018 lake survey records it

    See source

  2. 1927

    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. 1978

    On the survey map

    See source

  5. 1984-2021

    Held water most years

    Water in 43% of all satellite passes, 1984-2024

    9% of its water area has since gone dry; 3% 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. 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

    4% encroached, polluted, 490 acres surveyed

    See source

  9. 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

  10. 2025-2026

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

    After monsoon, Oct 2025 to Dec 2025

    • 50% open water
    • 47% floating weed
    • 4% dry or built

    Dry season, Mar 2026 to May 2026

    • 7% open water
    • 90% floating weed
    • 4% dry or built
    See source

How big it is

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

Drawn outline
365 acres

About 207 football pitches

See source
2018 lake survey
490 acres

About 278 football pitches

See source
End to end
2.6 km

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: 6 months. Fit only for irrigation: 30 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 & agriculture runoff

See source
Sewage flows in, 2018

From the north-west, south-west, east and south

See source
Older tests
3 readings

From 2011 and 2021

See sourceSee 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, phenolphthalein alkalinity, suspended solids

MeasureUnitValue
Water temperature°C27
Dissolved oxygenmg/L2.3
pH6.5
ConductivityµS/cm1,131
BODmg/L25
Nitratemg/L as N4.1
Nitritemg/L as N0.57
Faecal coliformMPN/100mL460
Total coliformMPN/100mL3,500
Bicarbonatemg/L304
TurbidityNTU1.4
Total alkalinitymg/L as CaCO3304
Chloridemg/L164
CODmg/L192
Kjeldahl nitrogenmg/L as N11
Ammonia nitrogenmg/L as N8.6
Total hardnessmg/L as CaCO3260
Calcium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3136
Calciummg/L54.4
Magnesium hardnessmg/L as CaCO3124
Magnesiummg/L30.1
Sulphatemg/L52
Sodiummg/L109
Dissolved solidsmg/L764
Phosphatemg/L1.3
Potassiummg/L17
Fluoridemg/L0.3
Sodium share%46
Sodium adsorption ratio2.9
Orthophosphatemg/L4

Every month the state board tested it

MonthClassDissolved oxygenmg/LBODmg/LFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
Jul 2026E2.3254603,500See source
Jun 2026E2164003,500See source
May 2026E2.8194705,400See source
Apr 2026E2.6293804,300See source
Mar 2026E1.7374705,400See source
Feb 2026E4.667003,500See source
Jan 2026D5543920See source
Dec 2025E2272,6008,400See source
Nov 2025E3.2174003,500See source
Oct 2025D4.563209,200See source
Sep 2025E22331920See source
Aug 2025E0.7362,10011,000See source
Jul 2025E2.8169405,400See source
Jun 2025E1.7691702,400See source
May 2025E2.4251,4004,800See source
Apr 2025E3914,00048,000See source
Mar 2025E1.9161,10,0007,00,000See source
Feb 2025D5.6111402,800See source
Jan 2025E1252103,500See source
Dec 2024D4746920See source
Nov 2024E1.2181703,500See source
Oct 2024E2.6173105,400See source
Sep 2024E2.4122,4005,800See source
Aug 2024E1.2322,2009,400See source
Jul 2024E2171,1007,900See source
Jun 2024E1.32126920See source
May 2024E0.7781402,400See source
Apr 2024E3.4151,4004,900See source
Mar 2024D4.452202,400See source
Feb 2024E3.6228,40017,000See source
Jan 2024D4.682,1004,700See source
Dec 2023E11849016,000See source
Oct 2023E3.91231016,000See source
Sep 2023E3.21846016,000See source
Aug 2023E2.81341016,000See source
Jul 2023E3447,0005,40,000See source

Older tests

DateWhereReadingChloridePhosphateSuspended solidsmg/LCODmg/LNitratemg/L as NTotal hardnessFluoridepHZincManganeseWater temperature°CDissolved oxygenmg/LConductivityµS/cmBODmg/LNitrate and nitritemg/L as NFaecal coliformMPN/100mLTotal coliformMPN/100mLSource
2011Yellamallappa chetty kere, Inlet1851.094406.433520.377.950.160.35See source
2021Yellamallappa Tank, TankLowest6.6253.188750.73,30024,000See source
2021Yellamallappa Tank, TankHighest7.6255.61,791148.121,70,0009,20,000See 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/100mLSewage inflow
2017-11-28Inlet2877.583630016204.1108122171,6000.156
See source

How much is built over

Built inside the outline
2%

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source
Encroached area, 2017
16.6 acres

Reported by the state legislature’s committee on lake encroachment

See source
Encroached by

Government agencies, private owners and the public

See source
Taken for

Road, BWSSB office, private school ground, bulidings, graveyard, agriculture & eucalyptus plantation

See source
Where it is encroached

On the south-west, south-east, north, north-west and north-east side

See source
Dumped in it

Garbage, construction debris, mud heap & plastic waste

See source
Land record maps
See source
Land within 500 m

42% built, 22% crops, 21% trees, 8% shrubs, 4% grass, 3% bare ground

From satellite land cover, 2021

See source

Who looks after it

Looked after by
Minor Irrigation Department

MI

See source
Campaign pages
See source

Where its water comes from and goes

Valley
Hebbal

The river basin its water drains to

See source
Water comes from
See source
Overflows into

Varthur kodi lake

See source
Catchment
283.1 km²

The land that drains into it

See source
Fed by, 2018 survey

Rain & drin feed

See source
Built parts, 2018 survey

8 inlet drains, 1 overflow weir, 1 sluice gate and 1 culvert

See source
Used for, 2018 survey

Fishing and irrigation

See source
Nearest sewage treatment plant

Yelemallappa Chetti 15MLD Sewage Treatment Planet

1.1 km away, treats 15 million litres a day

See source

What lives here

Birds recorded
147 species

Most seen: Black Kite, Western Swamphen, Indian Pond-Heron, Black Drongo and Spot-billed duck.

4,968 sightings, mostly from birdwatchers

See source
All wildlife recorded
147 species

4,968 records, 2002 to 2024

See source
Threatened species seen here
7
  • Spot-billed Pelican near threatened
  • Greater spotted eagle vulnerable
  • Indian Roller near threatened
  • Tawny Eagle vulnerable
  • River Tern vulnerable
  • Egyptian Vulture endangered
  • Laggar Falcon near threatened
See source
Photographed on iNaturalist
136 times

59 species, 121 confirmed by other naturalists.

Most seen: Small Salmon Arab, Common Gull, Asian Green Bee-eater, Blyth's Reed Warbler and Common Pierrot.

Last seen Sep 2025

See source
Animals seen, 2018 survey

Fish

See source
Weed cover, 2018 survey

Partial

See source

Around it

Around it in 2018

Agriculture, layout, plantation, settlement & cipla factory

See source

Photos

No photos of it on Wikimedia Commons yet.

Where it is

Greater Bengaluru
Outside the city limits
See source
Village
Veerenahalli

Bidarahalli hobli, Bengaluru East taluk, Bengaluru Urban district

See source
Land survey numbers

12, 57 (Avalahalli), 95, 96 (Hirandahalli), 2 (Kurudusonnenhalli), 63 (Medahalli), 29 (Veeranahalli)

See source
Height above sea level
866 m
See source
Coordinates

13.0279° N, 77.7277° E

See source

Read more

OpenStreetMap
See source
Wikidata

Q34936550

See source
Its number in each record
ATREE lake map
72
2018 lake survey
BUBEBDver_kr1-908
Lake Development Authority
LDA472
KGIS tank map
733
Water bodies census
1/12/002/000005/000033/001