We are on track to fully clean Gomti by year-end: UP CM

Yogi Adityanath says Lucknow’s chikankari and handicrafts had given it global recognition and referred to its UNESCO recognition as a ‘Heritage City of Gastronomy

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday announced that the Gomti will be completely cleaned by the end of 2026. He linked Cantonment’s waste-management initiatives with the broader environmental transformation of Lucknow and said efforts were being made to combine modern infrastructure with environmental protection.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath speaking at a programme in Lucknow on August 30. (HT photo)

“We are on track to fully clean the Gomti by the end of this year. I extend my gratitude to the Central Command for its full cooperation with the state government in ensuring the river’s cleanliness and maintaining its continuous, pristine flow. These efforts are driving the initiative forward on a war footing,” he said at an event where he, along with defence minister Rajnath Singh, laid the foundation stone for multiple Lucknow Cantonment projects.

Recalling Lucknow’s old identity, Yogi said that around two decades ago, a signboard at the railway station read, “Muskuraiye, Aap Lucknow Mein Hain”. But traffic congestion, narrow lanes and poor sanitation often made people worried rather than smile, he said.

Today, he said, Lucknow has retained its heritage while acquiring smart roads, modern infrastructure and the Outer Ring Road. He also highlighted the city’s association with Uda Devi Pasi and Maharaja Bijli Pasi alongside its emerging role in defence manufacturing, including the BrahMos project.

Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, minister of state Asim Arun, Central Command GOC-in-C Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma, Lucknow mayor Sushma Kharkwal, Director General Defence Estates Shobha Gupta, HAL CMD Ravi K and BEL CMD Manoj Jain were among those present.