Bengaluru: Not one of Bengaluru’s lakes meets safe water quality standards, according to data published by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. The findings, based on water quality analysis conducted across 147 monitoring locations between April and November 2025, paint a deeply worrying picture for a city already struggling with water stress. The board categorises lakes under standard water quality classes, Class A for water that is potable without treatment, Class B for water safe for bathing, and Class D and E for severely polluted water unsuitable for human use.
No Lake Passed the Test
Not a single lake in Bengaluru achieved Class A or Class B status during the entire monitoring period. Most lakes were classified under D or E, indicating heavy contamination.
Iconic Lakes Among the Worst Hit
Several of Bengaluru’s most well-known lakes recorded alarming pollution levels throughout the year.
Bellandur Lake was rated E in April, briefly improved to D during summer, but slipped back to E by November. Varthur Lake fluctuated between D and E categories. Hebbal Lake held a D rating for most months before deteriorating to E by the end of the monitoring period.
Other badly affected lakes include Madiwala, Kaikondanahalli, Kundalahalli and Ulsoor, all rated D or E. Even Sankey Tank, considered one of the better maintained lakes in the city, only managed a D rating.
The report identified Bommanahalli and Mahadevapura zones as the worst affected areas, largely due to rapid urbanisation and unchecked discharge of untreated waste into water bodies.
Summer Could Make Things Worse
The findings come at a difficult time as Bengaluru heads into peak summer, when the city’s dependence on groundwater and water tankers traditionally rises sharply.
With all major surface water bodies now officially declared unfit for human use, residents face a growing challenge in securing safe water as temperatures climb in the coming months.
