Bengaluru lake of fire: Debris caught fire at Bellandur water body on Thursday

Fire broke out in the highly polluted waters of Bellandur lake in Bengaluru on Thursday. Even fire department personnel found themselves in a perplexing situation on Thursday evening after seeing dense smoke emerging from the middle of the lake.[caption id="attachment_3287958" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Image courtesy: @ANI_news/twitter[/caption]According to The Financial Express, the incident reportedly took place at around 5.50 pm on Thursday evening. The nature of the fire was worse this time as the debris on fire rippled into the lake where toxic chemicals are dumped resulting into fumes. Ambulances were called to the spot immediately to provide treatment of someone gets injured during the incident.Even the fire department found itself in a tricky situation. How can we put out a fire in water?” said one fireman, reported The Financial Times.“Waste has been dumped in the lake deliberately. Either someone has set it on fire, or the chemicals inside the lake may have got ignited,” The Hindu quoted a fire official as saying.Residents in the neighbourhood point to the incessant burning of waste. “Garbage is routinely burnt in the vicinity despite our protestations and complaints. On Thursday, it went out of control,” the report quoted a resident as saying.Over the years, Bellandur lake has been in the news for froth that spills around it leading to toxic fumes.ANI on Friday morning reported that the fire was now under control.A similar incident took place in August 2016 when the toxic effluents in the Bellandur lake led the froth to burst into flames. Back then, the locals blamed the government for failing to check the pollution levels in the lake. They complained that the government has not taken any action despite the lake being a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Some people also said that foul smell from the lake is suffocating.