Experts Call Lucknow Waterlogging a Man-Made Crisis After Heavy Rain

Experts Call Lucknow Waterlogging a Man-Made Crisis After Heavy Rain

Heavy showers recently stalled several parts of Lucknow. Environmentalists now warn that the city’s severe waterlogging is a man-made crisis. They link the repeated flooding to a choked Gomti riverbed, toxic road runoff, and real estate growth over old floodplains and natural drains.

Biswajeet Thakur, a scientist at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, said rapid and unchecked urban sprawl has weakened the city’s natural drainage. He pointed to aggressive growth toward the south-east along Sultanpur Road. That expansion, he said, has left few vacant plots or permeable green spaces to absorb rain.

Thakur also described a second problem. Heavy road dust mixes with vehicle emissions, metals, oil, and grease. During heavy rain, that mix becomes a thick, toxic slurry. The polluted runoff then clogs drains, worsens waterlogging, and raises environmental toxicity.

He said the Gomti riverbed has also narrowed. A bathymetry survey by the department of remote sensing found silt buildup of up to 50 cm. As a result, the river can take in less excess runoff. Thakur called for restoring original water bodies where possible, digging the river catchment down to sand levels, and increasing soil porosity and permeability.

Venkatesh Dutta, an environmental scientist at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, made a related point. He said urban flooding is driven by narrowed natural channels and the loss of floodplains. When heavy rain continues, the swollen river pushes city drains into low-lying residential areas. He added that nearly 30 bridges across the Gomti obstruct smooth flow. Old paths of the Kukrail, near Marine Drive and Ambedkar Park, have also been blocked by commercial and residential projects. Therefore, low-lying zones flood more easily.

Ajay Arya, head of geology at Lucknow University, said planners need a scientific shift. He called for an interdisciplinary advisory committee of geologists and environmentalists to review urban expansion. Authorities, he said, should use high-resolution satellite data to track land use, protect remaining natural depressions, and require permeable interlocking pavements. He also urged a minimum 15 percent green cover on urban plots and pre-monsoon desilting to keep drainage paths open.