The Lucknow Municipal Corporation’s (LMC) pre-monsoon drain cleaning drive has created new hazards, with extracted silt piling up on roads for over a week, narrowing traffic lanes, strangling businesses, on Lucknow’s main thoroughfares.
The civic body launched the annual desilting exercise to prevent monsoon waterlogging, but weak coordination between cleaning and disposal teams has stalled progress. In Vibhuti Khand, silt accumulated along the main road for six days reduced a two-lane stretch to single-lane passage, triggering congestion during peak hours.
A ground visit by HT on Saturday revealed unattended drains across areas. In Aashiyana, the cleaning drive has not commenced. In Vibhuti Khand, a drain opposite the customs office remains uncleared. Near Kisan Bazaar, heaps of desilted sludge obstruct movement on roadsides, affecting nearby businesses.
“The silt has been lying here for nearly a week. It emits a foul smell and creates inconvenience for commuters and shopkeepers,” said Sunny Srivastava, a local trader.
Mahesh Verma, LMC chief engineer (civil), said the corporation phased the drive and will accelerate work in the coming days. Teams are currently focusing on smaller drains while preparing a list of larger drains for systematic cleaning.
Standard protocol requires the LMC to place extracted silt temporarily for drying, then lift it within hours. Locals say the civic body has failed to meet this timeline, pointing to coordination and monitoring lapses.
Residents flagged hygiene risks, warning that stagnant sludge could become a mosquito breeding ground before the monsoon season. Similar complaints have surfaced from other areas where desilting proceeds but waste clearance remains pending
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