Garbage persists in Gomti ahead of Chhath despite LMC cleanup efforts

LMC environmental engineer Sanjeev Pradhan stated the ghat will be cleaned again before the festival.

Despite the Lucknow Municipal Corporation’s (LMC) cleanup efforts and the installation of nets at Laxman Mela Ghat, garbage continues to float in the Gomti, raising concerns ahead of the Chhath festival. A Hindustan Times inspection on Saturday at 1:18 pm found plastic and other waste drifting in the river and caught along the railings, despite the nets meant to contain debris.

Cleaning of a ghat underway in Lucknow on Saturday. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo)

LMC environmental engineer Sanjeev Pradhan stated the ghat will be cleaned again before the festival and that Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC) has been applied at selected ghats to improve water clarity. “Last year, PAC helped coagulate and settle floating impurities, and skimmers are used at multiple points to remove waste,” he added.

Officials on-site pointed out lapses in supervision, noting that no senior LMC officials were overseeing the cleaning work, leaving only lower-level staff at the ghat. The site, which often attracts visits from politicians and bureaucrats during festival preparations, appeared neglected in broad daylight.

Meanwhile, police closely monitored security arrangements. Hazratganj assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Vikas Jaiswal and Hazratganj station house officer (SHO) Vikram Singh oversaw vehicle regulation and crowd management, while LDA secretary Vivek Srivastava, along with assistant engineers Vishal Yadav and Mohd Imran, inspected pedestrian ramps and other facilities and other upgrades.

As devotees get ready to offer arghya at one of the city’s busiest Chhath ghats, the success of the final cleanup and chemical treatment will be key to ensuring the river and ghat can safely accommodate thousands.