AT FIRST glance this photo may appear to show snow covering a mountain. But the reality of what’s going on here is horrifying.

This is actually an incredibly rare and very unnatural phenomenon. It’s a lake in India that’s so toxic that it froths over and even bursts into flames. It’s a scene straight out of a horror movie.

Located in the bustling hi-tech hub of Bangalore, the 36 kilometre Bellandur Lake is the largest — and most polluted — one in the city.

The foam is a result of the toxic water which contains a high content of ammonia and phosphate and very low dissolved oxygen. This has been put down to decades worth of untreated chemical waste being pumped into it.

If that wasn’t bad enough, sewage from many parts of the city is also released into the lake, leaving it extremely polluted.

During heavy rain, the foam spills onto the road, causing a traffic pile and spreading an unbearable stench in the air in the neighbourhood.

And at times, due to the grease, oil and detergents that can be found in the froth, it catches on fire.

“Every time it rains and the water flows, the froth raises and navigating this stretch becomes risky,” Vishruth, a resident who lives about 30 metres away from the lake, told the NewIndianExpress.

“Due to the froth, visibility is reduced and the area also smells bad.”

Just a week ago, he said the froth had risen to more than a metre high.

“Cars and bikes that pass this area get covered with froth,” he said.

Earlier this year, Indian Institute of Sciences Bio-engineering expert Durga Madhab Mahapatra told NewsMinute that contaminated air particles from the river were causing a burning feeling in people’s eyes.

Locals are so desperate to save the lake, they set up a Facebook page to bring attention to the problem

Software executive and environmental activist Nagesh Aras told the LATimes that disaster is looming if urgent action isn’t taken.

“We need to change course, but it’s like trying to turn the Titanic around,” Mr Aras said. “There’s an iceberg ahead, but the captain hasn’t even seen it. And that’s the tragedy with the fires. We’re trying to explain that they’re just the tip of the iceberg.”