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LDA, LMC seek IIT Roorkee’s expertise to alleviate waterlogging woes in Lucknow
District authorities have invited experts from IIT Roorkee to propose engineering solutions to mitigate waterlogging issues in these areas.
LUCKNOW The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) are seeking expert guidance from the engineers at IIT Roorkee to identify the underlying causes of extensive waterlogging in various planned areas of the city after the heavy rains on September 11.
Expressing concern about the waterlogging incidents occurring in front of prominent landmarks such as the High Court premises, Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, and Lohia Hospital, district authorities have invited experts from IIT Roorkee to propose engineering solutions to mitigate waterlogging issues in these areas.
To achieve this, a technical team comprising experts from the Department of Hydrology and other civil engineering departments at IIT Roorkee will conduct a comprehensive survey of the waterlogged sites. The LDA officially communicated this decision in a letter sent out on Wednesday. This decision was reached during a meeting chaired by LDA vice-chairman Indramani Tripathi on Tuesday.
Indramani Tripathi highlighted that engineers from the municipal corporation and the Public Works Department (PWD) also participated in the meeting. He stated that while an action plan has already been devised to address the city’s waterlogging problem, they are keen to leverage the expertise of IIT Roorkee, renowned for its proficiency in handling such challenges.
Upon receiving the report from the IIT Roorkee team, the process to rectify the waterlogging issue will commence. Tripathi further explained, “LDA intends to construct four retention basins -- two in Gomti Nagar and an equal number in Vasantkunj -- to alleviate the waterlogging problem in these areas. The estimated cost for these basins is approximately ₹25 crore.”
To further deliberate on the waterlogging problem, a follow-up meeting will be convened within a week, with officials from the Jal Nigam and Irrigation Department also invited to provide their insights.
Nevertheless, experts from LMC and LDA have preliminarily identified the opening of the barrage gates as a key factor behind the waterlogging in front of the high court. The discharge of rainwater into the Gomti Nagar areas, rather than its intended flow into the Gomti River, resulted from the opening of these gates. Consequently, the issue of waterlogging not only affected the vicinity of the High Court but also plagued other parts of the city.
