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Rain opens familiar chapter of pain in Lucknow: Cave-ins, potholes, waterlogging
In some areas, residents said clogged drains and unrepaired road damage turned already vulnerable stretches into accident-prone zones.
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Following two days of heavy rainfall, cave-ins, large potholes, flooded homes and submerged stretches were reported across Lucknow on Saturday.
The problems including a road cave-in near a sewer line in Aminabad, a damaged stretch in Gomti Nagar Extension and severe waterlogging in Ashiana, surfaced even as Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) officials have repeatedly claimed that drains were being cleaned and necessary measures were being taken to prevent waterlogging.
In some areas, residents said clogged drains and unrepaired road damage turned already vulnerable stretches into accident-prone zones.
In Aminabad, a portion of the road caved in near a sewer line on Friday-Saturday night after continuous rainfall.
According to a civic official, the work in the area was carried out under a Lucknow Smart City project, while the sewer line is being managed by a private agency.
Similarly, a major pothole developed around a sewer line in Sector 6 of Gomti Nagar Extension near a petrol pump and damaged the road. The accumulated rainwater made it difficult for commuters to identify the damaged portion.
An e-rickshaw overturned at the spot, while two-wheeler riders also struggled to cross the stretch. Residents said some commuters sustained injuries and vehicles suffered damage.
Later, residents placed obstacles around the damaged portion to alert commuters and prevent further incidents.
Prabhakar, a resident of Gomti Nagar Extension, said a road near a complex in Sector 4 had been showing signs of a cave-in for more than a month but authorities had not repaired it. Several vehicles got stuck on the stretch, with residents fearing further accidents.
Rainwater enters homes
The heavy rainfall also severely affected residential pockets in Ashiana. Residents of Sector M said rainwater entered several houses, damaging electronic gadgets, household articles and other belongings. Videos and photographs shared by residents showed water accumulated inside homes and across the adjoining roads.
Residents said the water reached knee level at some points, while several inches of water remained accumulated on roads for extended periods.
Vivek Srivastava, a resident of Sector M, shared photographs showing rainwater inside his house. Residents said they had to use mugs, buckets and other materials to remove water from their homes after the civic response failed to immediately clear the accumulated water.
Commercial establishments were also affected. Sandeep Singh Gaur, president of the Khazana market traders’ body, said around 430 shops in the area were affected by waterlogging. Shopkeepers, he said, had to use motors to remove water from their establishments.
Gaur, who lives in Sector L, said waterlogging had become a recurring problem in the locality.
He also claimed that drains near the Smriti Upvan crossing were not being cleaned adequately and that workers often removed only the upper layer of accumulated waste.
Residents flag clogged drains
Photographs shared by residents showed waste accumulated inside a medium-sized drain in Sector M. LMC chief engineer (Civil) Mahesh Verma revealed that the drain is under the civic body’s electrical and mechanical department, which was supposed to get it cleaned.
AC Agnihotri, general secretary of the Ashiana Residents’ Welfare Association and resident of Sector K, said several Sector M houses reported water entering their premises and residents sought municipal assistance to pump out the accumulated water.
Agnihotri said he contacted the Zone 8 official concerned on Saturday morning but was told that the officer was out of station, around 800 km from Lucknow.
He said residents were subsequently directed to approach the executive engineer for assistance. Agnihotri also said Sector K1 witnessed heavy waterlogging.
When contacted by HT, Zone 8 officer Asheesh Kumar Singh confirmed that he was out of station. He said he had asked residents to contact the executive engineer and added that he was on leave.
At the underpass opposite Ekana Stadium, rainwater accumulated and disrupted traffic movement. A road near Ekana Stadium suffered surface damage, with gravel coming loose after the rainfall. Residents and nearby people alleged that the stretch had undergone repairs multiple times, particularly around periods when major matches were held in the area.
Another stretch near Gate No. 6 of Janeshwar Mishra Park, heading towards the G20 road underpass in Gomti Nagar, was waterlogged, leading to a long traffic jam and causing inconvenience to commuters.
In Aliganj, a stretch near Puraniya crossing developed several large potholes after the rainfall. Similar damage emerged in the CG City area, where gravel came loose from the road surface.
Inspections conducted
District magistrate Vishakh G and municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar inspected several locations and reviewed drainage arrangements. They visited Taj Underpass, the Gomti Nagar pumping station, Janeshwar Mishra Railway Underpass and the Sapna Sweets area near Kathauta Lake in Zone 4.
The officials later inspected the Jankipuram pumping station and Barrel No. 2 on Bandha Road in Zone 3.
Officials also instructed civic teams to clear drains and water channels and remove fallen trees to prevent disruption to traffic and public movement.
The LMC claimed it deployed teams across its zones and monitored vulnerable locations through the Smart City Control Room.
Residents can report rain and waterlogging-related complaints through the civic body’s toll-free helpline, 1533.
