①Does a lake on fire sound impossible ? If you think that water can't burn, you need to learn more about pollution.
②Let's go and see Bellandur Lake in the city of Bengaluru in India. Bengaluru is the center for many heavy industries. Electrical and electronic goods, computer parts and parts for planes and space rockets are produced there. Much of the waste from these and a large amount of the wastewater from local people run into the lake.
③These harmful mixed things have led the lake to become covered with a thick white foam(泡沫) that looks like snow when seen from far away. When the level of the water rises, the foam does too and covers nearby areas, even roads. When a fire breaks out on the lake, it is both frightening and dangerous. People who live or work near the lake also get seriously il l because of the pollution.
④The fire has drawn a great deal of attention recently, but burning lakes are nothing new. Pollution mainly happens in developing countries like India today. In the past, it mainly took place in Europe and America. Cuyahoga River, a river in America, had caught fire at least 13 times. The fire that caused the most attention was in 1969 when oil- covered areas on the river were set on fire by sparks(火花) from a passing train. The fire reached a height of over five floors and burned for about half an hour. By that time, people in America were more aware of its dangers and wanted to change.
⑤As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was founded in 1970 and the Clean Water Act (1972) was put into use. This Act required all rivers throughout America be clean enough to safely allow swimmers and fish to pass through by 1983. Due to these efforts, the Cuyahoga River has never had another fire and over 60 different species of fish live in the river.
⑥If history is a guide, will it be possible for people in India to bring an end to the pollution by changing the laws in their country, too? Like many nations, it's necessary to raise awareness of environmental protection among the general public. All of us must act!
