Fire was noticed on a patch of a lake near Dodda Basavanahalli on the outskirts of Hassan city on Monday, leaving residents nearby shocked. The lake is close to a terminal of the Hindustan Petrol Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) in the industrial area.
Residents of Dodda Basavanahalli noticed the fire and informed the police and fire station. The local people blamed poor handling of effluents by HPCL terminal as a cause for the fire.
Environment officer of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board K.V. Shivakumar told The Hindu: “Deposits of petrol and diesel must be the reason for the fire. It seems empty tankers that carry petrol and diesel are washed in the lake. As the density of petrol and diesel is less than water, the particles of the fossil fuel float on the surface causing fire.” The officer said he would direct HPCL officials to avoid cleaning tankers in the lake.
