Bellandur Lake Fire

On 17 February, 2017 one of the pictures that caught our attention was that of the Bellandur Lake in Bangalore burning. It may appear to be a very petty accident affecting only a small locality in the country, but the incident has a lot more to tell. The lake has caught fire twice in three days, which points to an alarming situation. It indicates that the fire was not a result of a mere accident but a resultant effect of human activities surrounding the lake.

It raises a very serious question of environmental degradation in India. In the light of this event, one needs to move deep into the analysis of the condition of lakes and wetlands in India. This can be done through observation of the causes of this incident, efforts made by authorities and so on.

Bellandur Lake Fire- What caused this and what are its effects?

Causes of Fire

Though the residents of the area could observe only one reason for the breakout of fire, there are several factors that have caused the fire. These are:

• Dumping of garbage-The residents complained that due to the neglect of the municipal authorities, the dumping of huge lumps of garbage on the banks of the lake had become prevalent. Not only this, the same garbage is removed from there by strewing it on fire. But this time, the fire strewn on the garbage engulfed the whole lake causing massive smoke to come out and cover the whole area.
• Froth and toxic fumes-The Google maps focusing on this area also indicates that the sides of the lake are full of froth that is released from the nearby sewage treatment plants. There is also a release of toxic fumes from there. This has mainly occurred due to the failure of the authorities to adopt safety measures while operating the sewage treatment plant.

General causes- Although the cause of this lake fire is still under study, some general reasons for lake fire have been identified from other incidents. These are:

• Chemical reactions-Many scientists claim that the fire is caused due to the chemical reaction between methane and some other toxic substances. The rain further aggravates the situation
• Encroachment by religious institutions-In another shocking statistics, a study revealed that around 144 religious institutions in Karnataka have encroached on lakes. This is more prevalent in rural areas where the banks are marked as cemeteries. There may be burning of dead bodies, incense sticks and candles resulting in such drastic outcomes. This has resulted in several live lakes to shrink.

Effects of Fire

• Air pollution– The fire has resulted in a huge amount of air pollution in the locality causing a lot of discomfort for the residents. The smell of the froth and toxic smoke has made it impossible for them to survive.
• Harm to aquatic species– Another big impact on the environment is brought about by the dying of thousands of fishes that had made the lake their habitat. These fishes surfaced on an adjacent lake Ulloor, indicating that the incident did not only have an impact on this locality but also on the adjacent water bodies.
• Effect on human health– Other than air pollution, there are other effects on human health too. Studies show that the concentration of heavy metals in such sites is leading to bioaccumulation, thus entering the plants and animals that ultimately form part of people’s food.

Thus, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has a greater task ahead to not only identify the causes of the fire in the Bellandur lake but also make an assessment of its impact on many other localities.

Position of Lakes and Wetlands

With this incident coming in spotlight, it raises an even greater question on the general status of lakes and wetlands in Karnataka and in India. Bangalore known as the Silicon Valley of India, is known for its lakes and famed gardens. But slowly and steadily it is losing its fame, as the statistics indicates that the capital city has already lost 79% of its water bodies and 80% of its tree cover compared to the baseline figure of 1973. Bellandur and Vathur are the two biggest lakes in the city. But from the last few years both these lakes have witnessed several rounds of catching fire, leading to a complete degradation in the quality of water and air and the environment in general of Bangalore.

The statistics indicates a similar trend throughout the country also. At present, a report published by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History shows that India has already lost 38% of its wetlands and in some cities only 12% of the wetlands survived.

Government intervention-a lackadaisical approach

All the above observations point finger at only one thing- deliberate neglect by government authorities. Some of the clear instances of failure by authorities to address the issue are:

• Lack of implementation of measures to clean environment-Ever since these incidents were on a rise in Bangalore, the state government and the Union Environment Ministry have appointed experts for testing the water and providing for mechanisms to clean them. Although reports have been received, no steps have been taken for implementation of these mechanisms. Till now the authorities, including the Union Environment Minister has remained silent on the causes of fire.
• Little steps taken-Even on looking at the overall steps taken by the Centre in improving the conditions of lakes and wetlands in India, one can identify the neglect. The Centre has identified only 115 water bodies in 24 states for granting protection support. This is a quite minimal step considering the number of polluted lakes and water bodies in India.
• Multiple, disjointed agencies– The system of environmental governance in India is also not arranged and certain. There are several agencies set up under several environmental legislations whose function overlap resulting in a failure in recognizing their functions in times of emergency. It has resulted in a complete collapse of environmental management in India. The agencies never work collectively leading to almost non-implementation of the environmental laws in India.
• Participant in causing pollution-There have also been accusations on the municipal authorities like the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagar Palike for dumping construction materials on the banks of the lakes during a bridge construction. This raises a doubt on the very intention of those entrusted with the duty to protect the natural resources.

Conclusion

From the above analysis, it can be safely concluded that the decline of the lakes and wetlands in India and increase in lake accidents is emanating from the combined neglect of government and public in general. There is no doubt that the authorities have failed to perform their duty. But the citizens who have allowed this damage to take place by repeatedly throwing garbage or not maintaining their factories properly are equally responsible for this kind of mishap.

Therefore, the situation calls for nothing but a cooperative effort by the Indian public and the government authorities to take steps forward for cleansing and protecting our lakes and wetlands. The conditions of air pollution in India are unquestionable, we cannot let the same thing to happen to our water bodies also.