Gomti river overflow displaces residents and disrupts daily life in Lucknow

Severe flooding in Lucknow has displaced residents and disrupted daily life, leaving an estimated 25,000 people affected after the Gomti river breached its banks in what officials described as the city’s worst inundation since 2018.

The rising waters submerged residential settlements, public spaces, and landmarks, including the 65-acre Rashtriya Prerna Sthal and its bronze statues. Authorities have closed the riverfront, the CG City Urban Wetland, and the Nau Sena Shaurya Vatika to visitors indefinitely. Waterlogging also extended to southern areas near Phoenix Palassio Mall, Ekana Stadium, and parts of Gomti Nagar Extension.

According to the Irrigation Department, the crisis stemmed from exceptionally heavy rainfall between September 22 and 27 in the Gomti’s upper catchment areas across Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Sitapur districts. While normal five-day rainfall in the region averages 15 mm, those areas recorded around 150 mm, with some locations receiving up to 257 mm. It typically takes 10 to 12 days for runoff from Pilibhit to reach Lucknow.

The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) deployed 26 pumping sets and used boulders and soil to construct a temporary barrier, plugging backflow points. Officials stated that water levels had begun to stabilise and were expected to recede over the next two to three days.

District administration, police, municipal corporations, along with State and National Disaster Response Forces, deployed over 100 boats for rescue operations and distribution of essentials. Officials reported that more than 25,000 bottles of drinking water had been supplied to affected residents. Boatmen brought in from Ayodhya navigated flooded lanes to deliver rations and evacuate families.

Displaced residents faced challenges including power cuts, lack of clean drinking water, and concerns over home security. Medical teams at local health camps reported treating over 240 patients for ailments such as skin itching, fevers, and stomach infections, while forest department teams and snake catchers were deployed following reports of snake sightings.

The flooding also triggered political criticism. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav blamed the administration for negligence, alleging mismanagement of barrages and deliberate failure in flood control. Congress state president Aradhana Mishra criticised the government for permitting unchecked construction on low-lying floodplains and wetlands without adequate long-term drainage planning.