Arekere Lake, Bengaluru

Arekere Lake lies in the Arekere–Hulimavu area of Bengaluru, bounded by Bannerghatta Road to the west, the BDA 80 Feet Road to the north, Shantinikethan Layout to the east and Hulimavu Main Road to the south. Probably created as a reservoir about 100 years ago, it once covered around 37 acres, with a perimeter of about 3 km, but encroachment has cut it to roughly 25. As its catchment was built over it almost dried up, and in October 2012 a breach sent sewage into nearby homes.

That year residents formed the Arekere Neighbourhood Improvement Trust, which raised awareness with events such as a human chain around the lake. The Bangalore Development Authority began desilting, fencing and building paths in 2015, and between 2020 and 2024 cleanup drives, sewage diversion and wetland work helped the lake hold water and support more birds and plants, though legal disputes over encroachment slowed progress. By 2025 parts of the lake had reopened, and its walking tracks and greenery have made it a popular local space.