Toxic foam seen on road near Bengaluru after heavy rains

Toxic foam was seen on a road in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, about 40 km from Bengaluru, on Thursday morning after heavy rains and water being released from a nearby reservoir. Visuals showed rescue teams clearing toxic foam that spread about five feet across the road. The road has been blocked and traffic has been diverted, Krishnagiri Superintendent of Police said.

Hosur received more than 11 cm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, the weather office said this morning. This increased the storage level in the nearby Kelavarapalli reservoir and resulted in release of water into the Thenpennai river causing flooding in the surrounding areas and accumulation of toxic foam.

There is no official report yet on what type of pollutants caused this poisonous foam.

It is suspected that industrial units in neighboring Karnataka took advantage of the rains to discharge waste material into the river, causing toxic foam in the water. However, officials are investigating the exact cause.