Bengaluru’s Bellandur lake caught fire again on Thursday afternoon, just two weeks after it took 5,000 Armymen and firefighters to douse the first fire in the lake this year. The 1,000-acre expanse of the Bellandur lake is infamous for severe pollution and froth that spills over and catches fire.
Residents saw smoke coming out from the lake around 3.30 pm on Thursday, The Hindu reported. It soon seemed to have disappeared, but was again seen a couple of hours later.
The fire department immediately sent two fire tenders along with a boat. The fire was brought under control and extinguished around 7 pm, an official was quoted as saying.
The reason for the fire is not known.
This is the fifth time since 2015 that the lake caught fire. The city’s two largest lakes – Bellandur and Varthur – are regularly affected by froth. Environmentalists blame the practice of dumping untreated sewage and pollutants in the lakes for the severe pollution.
Residents from the area have asked the government time and again to take action to stop the lake from foaming. Many have also criticised the civic bodies for failing to address the problem.
In April 2017, the National Green Tribunal had ordered the Karnataka government to shut down all industrial units around the Bellandur lake. It had also announced a fine of R 5 lakh to be imposed on anyone dumping waste in and around the lake.
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