After Bellandur lake in Bengaluru, a video has surfaced showing another water body in Karnataka, the Dodda Basavanahalli lake near Hassan, on fire. Environment officer of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board KV Shivakumar was reported to have said that it was caused by fire-tankers being cleaned in the vicinity. “It is suspected that some amount of fuel got into the tank water,” he said, adding, “However, the origin of the fire is unknown.”

Shivakumar also told The Hindu: “Deposits of petrol and diesel must be the reason for the fire. It seems empty tankers that carry petrol and diesel are washed in the lake. As the density of petrol and diesel is less than water, the particles of the fossil fuel float on the surface causing fire.”

On Sunday, parts of Bellandur lake in Bengaluru had caught fire again, engulfing the surrounding areas in smoke. A similar incident in February had made the National Green Tribunal step in and order the closure of industrial units in the area. Pollutants released into the lake from the units was cited as a reason for the fire.