More of Lucknow comes under Gomti’s rising waters

River’s surge may have peaked, water level could fall in Lucknow soon, say Irrigation Dept officials

The rising Gomti pushed further into Lucknow on Sunday, reaching newer locations along and near the river as floodwater entered the premises of the Lete Hue Hanuman Ji temple on Mahatma Gandhi Marg and submerged a cricket academy near Gulala Ghat. Water also reached the road and stairs leading to the Chandrika Devi temple in Bakshi Ka Talab, marking a further spread of the swollen river into public and religious spaces.

Waterlogging at the Sage Cricket Ground as the Gomti River’s water level rises (Deepak Gupta/HT)

The river on Sunday continued to rise at key monitoring points, with the Gomti barrage recording a 15-cm increase, Hanuman Setu 12 cm and Gaughat 10 cm compared with Saturday. The water level remained stable at Bhatpurva, however, raising hopes among irrigation officials that the upstream surge may have peaked and that the Gomti could begin receding in Lucknow within the next 24 to 48 hours, confirmed Irrigation Department executive engineer (Lucknow Division) Mukesh Vaish.

Vaish, said the stable level at Bhatpurva and a reported fall of around 60 cm at Sultanpur indicated that the peak upstream flow could soon pass through Lucknow. “If the water level at Sultanpur is falling, its effect should reach Lucknow within 24 to 48 hours,” Vaish said.

The latest inundation came largely because water from upstream catchment areas continued to reach Lucknow, rather than because of fresh rainfall in the city. The accumulated runoff has increased the Gomti’s discharge and pushed water into low-lying areas and premises close to the river.

Near Gulala Ghat, the rising river submerged the cricket academy almost entirely, leaving only grills, poles and portions of the structure visible above the water.

At the Lete Hue Hanuman Ji temple, water entered the temple premises, while at Chandrika Devi temple in BKT, floodwater reached the road passing through the temple approach and came up to the stairs. Following which the shopkeepers at chandrika devi temple had closed their shops.

The irrigation department has kept all 10 gates of the Gomti barrage open to facilitate downstream movement of the swollen river. Officials regulate the gates according to the river’s level and flow conditions, with the objective of preventing water from backing up towards the city.

The department has also sealed 48 city drainage outlets to prevent the swollen Gomti from pushing water back into Lucknow’s drainage network.

The latest spread comes after floodwater had already reached several low-lying stretches along the Gomti and affected infrastructure and public spaces close to the river. The fresh inundation of the temple premises and cricket academy shows that the swollen river continued to occupy new areas even as officials began anticipating a decline.

The next 24 to 48 hours will remain crucial for Lucknow. If the falling level at Sultanpur translates into lower discharge towards the capital, the Gomti should begin receding in the city, officials said. The water will subsequently continue downstream towards the Ganga.