LUCKNOW The worst may be over soon as the Gomti has started receding upstream at Bhatpurva, with its water level falling by 8cm in 24 hours even as levels at the downstream points in Lucknow continued to rise on Thursday.
At Bhatpurva, the water level fell from 113.08 metres at 8pm on Wednesday to 113 metres at 8pm on Thursday. Irrigation officials said the recession upstream should gradually travel downstream towards Gaughat, Hanuman Setu and the Gomti barrage, bringing relief to the city in the next 24-48 hours.
“The fall at Bhatpurva will gradually reflect at the downstream monitoring points. As the water moves downstream, the effect of the recession will also be seen at Gaughat, Hanuman Setu and the Gomti barrage,” said Mukesh Vaish, executive engineer, irrigation department, Lucknow division.
The current levels at all three city monitoring points, remained below their respective danger marks.
At 8pm on Thursday, Gomti barrage recorded 107.08 metres, against its danger level of 109.20 metres, leaving the river 2.12 metres below the danger mark. The level had risen 8cm from 107.00 metres on Wednesday evening.
At Hanuman Setu, the level stood at 107.30 metres at 8pm, compared with the danger level of 109.50 metres. The river remained 2.20 metres below the danger mark, despite a 5-cm rise in 24 hours.
{{/usCountry}}At Hanuman Setu, the level stood at 107.30 metres at 8pm, compared with the danger level of 109.50 metres. The river remained 2.20 metres below the danger mark, despite a 5-cm rise in 24 hours.
{{/usCountry}}At Gaughat, the level rose by 3cm, from 108.57 metres on Wednesday evening to 108.60 metres on Thursday. The reading remained below the danger level.
The contrasting readings show that the upstream recession has not yet reached the city’s downstream monitoring points. Officials said the rise at these locations was expected because the floodwater takes time to move through the nearly 50-km stretch between Bhatpurva and the Gomti barrage.
“Once the upstream level continues to fall, the downstream points will also start showing the effect. We expect the recession to become visible in the city within around 48 hours,” Vaish added.
LDA deploys pumps; barriers erected to stop backflow
The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) launched a major dewatering operation on Thursday after rising Gomti levels caused water to backflow into the drainage system of Gomti Nagar Extension Sector-7, triggering waterlogging around Ekana Stadium.
The teams blocked water-entry points with boulders, sandbags, soil and deployed more than 25 pumps across affected areas. They cleared most routes by around 7pm. LDA secretary SP Singh said water flowed back from behind Ekana Stadium into the drains, flooding roads around the stadium and the adjoining service lane.
Officials deployed pumps on the main road between Ekana Stadium and a prominent nearby mall, the road connecting to Ahimamau crossing and the drain running parallel to Shaheed Path. They also positioned five to six pumps near the State Disaster Management complex.
The LDA built a barrier behind Ekana Stadium with boulders, sandbags and soil and deployed 10 large pumps for continuous dewatering.
The authority established a control room and assigned senior officials, engineers and staff to round-the-clock shifts. Officials have monitored the Gomti’s water level and affected areas since October 5. Continuous pumping has cleared most major roads while the LDA aims to remove the remaining waterlogging by midnight and continue protective measures until normalcy returns.
As a precautionary measure, CG City urban wetland and Nau Sena Shaurya Vatika have been closed to visitors until further orders.
Flooding disrupts LDA projects
Flooding disrupted many ongoing projects of the LDA, with water entering localities and sites falling under various proposed schemes.
The situation has been particularly challenging in Prabandh Nagar, where several villages were affected after river water entered the low-lying areas near Faizullaganj. The flooding hampered ongoing civil and development related works in the area.
Similar conditions were witnessed along the LDA’s Phase-3 Green Corridor project, where flooding has brought construction activities to an almost complete halt. Officials are currently waiting for the water level to recede before assessing the affected stretches and taking necessary measures to resume the stalled work.
Parts of Basant Kunj also reported waterlogging, disrupting some of the ongoing development activities in the area.
An LDA official said progress on civil works and other on-ground activities under the Prabandh Nagar scheme would resume only after the water level recedes from the affected villages.