E-Paper
After Bellandur, fire rages in the middle of another lake in Karnataka
District environment officer said the reason for the fire was that some tankers had been cleaned nearby but the origin of the fire is unknown.
After Bellandur lake, it is now the turn of another water body in Karnataka to catch fire. On Monday, residents of Dodda Basavanahalli village in Hassan district, about 190 km from Bengaluru, woke up to see the water tank in their village in flames.
A terminal of the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) is located in the vicinity.
District environment officer Shivakumar said the reason for the fire was that some tankers had been cleaned nearby.
“It is suspected that some amount of fuel got into the tank water. However, the origin of the fire is unknown,” he added.
Authorities at the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority said the Dodda Basavanhalli tank did not come under its jurisdiction as it was only a minor irrigation tank.
Hence, similar protection as accorded Bengaluru’s lake might not be forthcoming in this case.
Shivakumar said he had warned HPCL officials to make sure that no tankers are cleaned in the vicinity of the tank. “Besides, it was officials of HPCL who informed us and the fire has been brought under control,” he added.
The Karnataka state government has under fire since February after the Bellandur lake in Bengaluru went up in flames. Indiscriminate dumping of waste and industrial effluents was said to be the reason for the strange phenomenon.
The National Green Tribunal also stepped into the issue and ordered the closure of industrial units in the vicinity of the lake.
