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Garbage-filled drains lay bare gaps in LMC’s pre-monsoon preparations
Despite crores being spent annually on drain cleaning and monsoon preparedness, several small and internal nullahs in residential and commercial areas remain clogged with sludge, plastic waste and stagnant sewage water. The worsening condition of these drains has raised concerns over possible waterlogging and the spread of vector-borne diseases ahead of the monsoon season.
Overflowing drains near hospitals, parks and residential areas have exposed lapses in Lucknow Municipal Corporation’s pre-monsoon sanitation drive, with several internal nullahs still choked with waste and sewage.
Despite crores being spent annually on drain cleaning and monsoon preparedness, several small and internal nullahs in residential and commercial areas remain clogged with sludge, plastic waste and stagnant sewage water. The worsening condition of these drains has raised concerns over possible waterlogging and the spread of vector-borne diseases ahead of the monsoon season.
A visit by HT found one of the most serious situations behind the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in Gomti Nagar, where sewage from clogged drains had overflowed onto footpaths and roads near the hospital premises. Patients, attendants and hospital staff said foul smell and mosquito infestation had made movement in the area difficult. Similar conditions were witnessed in the Ashiana area near Power House crossing, where drains were found choked.
Hospital workers said the drain behind the institute had remained uncleaned for over a month despite repeated complaints. Sewage mixed with floating garbage had spread across the rear side of the hospital, highlighting poor maintenance of internal drains managed by private agencies and the civic body.
The poor condition of drains was not limited to the hospital area. Similar scenes were witnessed near Lohia Park, where open drains were filled with waste and several drain covers were found displaced.
In Vibhuti Khand, drains near the Central GST office also remained choked, while vegetation growing along drain walls indicated prolonged neglect by authorities.
Vivek Khand resident Roop Kumar Sharma said the civic body mainly focuses on major drains during desilting operations, while smaller internal nullahs inside colonies and commercial pockets are often ignored. These smaller drains eventually choke and lead to sewage overflow onto roads and pedestrian pathways, he said.
LMC environmental engineer Sanjeev Pradhan said drains below one metre in width are maintained either by private agencies or by the civic body, depending on zone allocation. According to officials, Lions Enviro handles drain cleaning work in three zones, while Lucknow Swachhta Abhiyan (LSA) manages selected drains in five zones. Larger drains above one metre width are directly cleaned by the municipal corporation.
However, the condition of drains in several localities has raised questions over field inspections, supervision and accountability of outsourced agencies. Residents alleged that desilting work is often carried out only on paper, while sludge and garbage continue to remain inside the drains.
With parts of city witnessing intermittent rainfall over the past two weeks, the uncleaned drains and overflowing nullahs have intensified concerns over monsoon preparedness, sanitation failures and the possibility of severe waterlogging in several areas of Lucknow.
