Lok Sabha Question No. 1206 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-09
Subject: Fire in Bellandur Lake
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: B. SREERAMULU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1206

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2018

## Fire in Bellandur Lake

1206. SHRI B. SRIRAMULU:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of massive fire in Bellandur Lake of Bengaluru and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has received complaints from residents living nearby regarding emission of so much toxic foam from Bellandur Lake forcing people to stay indoors,  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  action  taken  by  the  Government  in  this regard so far;
- (c) whether the Government had invested Rs. 800 crore to rejuvenate the lakes in Bengaluru, especially the Bellandur Lake and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has invited Experts from Britain and Israel to study the problem and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps being taken by the Government to prevent/avoid such type of water body fire incidents in future?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) Yes.  The  State  Government  has  informed  that  an  accidental  fire  incident  in Bellandur Lake took place on 19.01.2018 around 9.30 am at few locations within the lake bed mainly around Defence area adjacent to tank bed, towards Iblur and Ejipura side.  The  fire  flaring  with  Orange  flames  and  dense  smoke  engulfed  the  Defence area  which  belongs  to  ASC  Center,  Bengaluru.  The  defence  personnel,  State  Fire Force  Department  in  coordination  with  Bengaluru  Development  Authority  (BDA) Officers reached the spot at 11.00 am and all efforts were made to extinguish the fire immediately, but as the fire locations were within the water spread area of the tank, the fire force and Defence personnel struggled to reach the fire spots. However, the team could  restrict  the  spreading  of  fire  to  different  parts  of  the  civil  and  Defence land.  The  team  could  stop  the  major  fire  havocs  duly  by  extinguishing  the  fire  in ground area and restricting the same in the water spread area of the tank.

The  Commissioner,  BDA  and  ASC  Center  officer  jointly  supervised  the operations. Further, even at 6.00 pm the fire flaring with orange flames and dense smoke was live at two locations. All efforts have been made to control and restrict the fire  spreading  to  adjacent  living  areas  and  round  the  clock  watch  and  ward  is arranged  by  deploying  the  security  personnel.  It  has  been  observed  that  dense smoke was releasing from the grass with organic sludge (Muck). Since long it is a

common practice of grass cutting in the lake area by the neighbouring villagers to use  it  as  a  fodder  for  their  cattle.  In  such  time,  while  they  smoke,  there  may  be chances of accidental fire in the grass and this could be the reason for the accidental fire in Bellandur Lake. Further, it may also be due to igniting debris of Biomass, dry plants,  solid  waste  (consisting  of  predominantly  dry  grass  and  waste  plastics  etc.) and aggravated by methane generation in the lake.

(b) Yes. The State Government has taken all preventive measures to address the froth issue at Bellandur Lake waste weir points. The measures include fixing of wire net mesh to a height of 20 feet (6 m) to prevent the air disbursal of froth all along waste weir length near Bellandur road crossing, ensuring that there is no froth in the lake anywhere and froth is occurring only at the waste weirs, dissipation of the froth by installing 106 numbers of water sprinklers on both sides of the waste weir banks at Bellandur to suppress the froth and the system is on round the clock, maintenance of the sprinkling system till the lake is cleaned up (one time cleaning) and restored/ rejuvenated.

(c) As  per  Bengaluru  Water  Supply  and  Sewerage  Board  (BWSSB),  projects totalling to Rs.887.97 crore relating to sewerage system and STPs in Bengaluru have been approved/initiated under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) programme of Ministry of Urban Development. Apart from other benefits, these projects will help in rejuvenating lakes in Bengaluru by reducing the  pollution  load  being  discharged  into  them.  Further,  this  Ministry  has  provided financial assistance of Rs. 2.63 Crore (GoI share) for conservation and management of Bellandur Lake under the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP)/National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Eco-Systems (NPCA).

In  addition,  the  State  Government  has  released  an  amount  of  Rs.371.00 crores to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) since 2013-14 to 2017-18 for rejuvenation/restoration of lakes in Bengaluru and vide G.O. dated 02.02.2018 has released  an  amount  of  Rs.  50.00  crores  to  BDA  for  restoration/rejuvenation  of Bellandur  Lake.  So  far,  BDA  has  incurred  an  expenditure  of  Rs.  8.00  crores  for restoration of this lake from its own funds.

(d) No such experts from Britain and Israel have been invited by Government of Karnataka and this Ministry.

(e) The State Government has informed that the area of Bellandur Lake is about 917 acre. Presently around 350 acre of water surface is cleared from hyacinth and water plants in the lake. Fire incidences occurred in the grass area located on the outer periphery of the lake (ground region) and no water body fire incident has taken place  in  the  lake.  BDA  has  taken  up  fencing  the  balance  leftover  and  damaged stretches of  Lake  Boundary for tight  security  of  the  lake  and  to  erect  solar  electric fencing  at  critical  sensitive  stretches  &  to  install  CCTV  cameras  for  monitoring  the miscreants. BDA has taken strict and stringent steps to restrict the public and grass harvesters entry to the lake area by deploying the security personnel for round the clock patrolling.

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