Agara Lake

Agara Lake is an 80-acre lake in Agara, Bengaluru, part of the Varthur chain of lakes, with Madiwala Lake upstream and Bellandur Lake downstream. It dates back at least to the 8th or 9th century. Once a lake for the people of Agara village, it became a public recreation space as the area built up. After a 2007 attempt to privatise it was overturned, the High Court in 2012 directed a citizen group to manage it, and in 2013 residents set up the Agara Lake Protection and Management Society.

The lake is counted among the best kept in the city. A de-weeding and desilting programme began in 2018, and at the inflow end a 9-acre constructed wetland, divided by permeable walls, lets silt settle and filters the water. A walking and cycling track rings the lake, with a park at the north end and a separate immersion tank. Bird watchers recorded 30 species in 2018, including the scaly-breasted munia and red-naped ibis.