Vehicles crawled through murky, sewage-like water, two-wheelers struggled to avoid potholes hidden beneath the flooded road and pedestrians waded through stagnant water as residents stood knee-deep in Malhaur on Tuesday, holding placards to protest what they described as years of civic neglect. The demonstration came as an HT ground inspection found several major drains across Lucknow still clogged with plastic waste and garbage despite the Lucknow Municipal Corporation’s (LMC) pre-monsoon desilting drive and a sanitation budget of ₹255 crore for 2026-27.
Event Context
Meanwhile, a Hindustan Times ground inspection at Sarkata Nullah near Mahmood Nagar, a drain in Sector-P, Ashiana, and another at Adil Nagar found plastic bottles, polythene, floating garbage and unattended debris despite the LMC’s pre-monsoon drain-cleaning campaign.
The civic body had fixed June 30 as the deadline for completing desilting and cleaning of all drains before the onset of the monsoon. However, garbage remained visible at multiple locations, raising concerns over the city’s preparedness to tackle waterlogging.
Commuter Ritik Singh said basic safety measures should have been put in place before carrying out the work.
Team Analysis
The protest unfolded on the busy road connecting Amity University with One World Township, a key link used daily by thousands of students, office-goers and residents travelling towards Malhaur, Shaheed Path and adjoining villages. Even a brief spell of rain submerged the already damaged stretch, leaving commuters to navigate through dirty water and concealed potholes.
Carrying placards, residents from Hasemau, Malhaur, Laulai and Deoria said they entered the flooded stretch after repeated complaints to the LMC failed to bring any lasting relief. They demanded immediate reconstruction of the road, a proper drainage network and a permanent solution to recurring waterlogging.
Leading the protest, social activist Akash Yadav said residents had met officials and submitted complaints over the years, but the road’s condition remained unchanged.
Residents said the road vanishes beneath stagnant water every monsoon, making it impossible for motorists to distinguish the road from potholes. They said two-wheeler riders frequently skid after hitting submerged craters, while schoolchildren, senior citizens and pedestrians are forced to walk through the water. Poor street lighting, they added, makes the stretch even more hazardous after sunset.
The affected road connects Malhaur, Hasemau, Jagpal Khera, Bharwara, One World City, Khargapur and Shaheed Path, making it an important access route in the rapidly expanding eastern part of Lucknow. Residents also said roads inside nearby villages, particularly Hasemau, have deteriorated over the years, making movement difficult during the rainy season.
At Sarkata Nullah, long stretches of the drain were covered with plastic bottles, polythene and other solid waste. Similar conditions were found in Ashiana, where residents said the drain had not been cleaned effectively.
At Adil Nagar, workers constructing a boundary wall along a drain had left steel reinforcement bars exposed without protective caps, barricades or warning signs, posing a risk to pedestrians and motorists during rainfall.
Municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar said residents’ complaints regarding the waterlogged road would be considered and directed officials to resolve the issues at the earliest.
Congress corporator Mukesh Singh Chauhan said drain cleaning remained incomplete even after the monsoon had begun. BJP corporator Amit Chaudhary sought an independent audit of sanitation work, saying higher spending should be matched by better maintenance.
Residents said unless roads are repaired, drains cleaned and drainage systems improved, every spell of rain will continue to leave commuters wading through flooded streets and struggling to negotiate submerged potholes.
Match Outlook
HT could not obtain a response from LMC chief engineer (electrical and mechanical) Manoj Prabhat. LMC chief engineer (civil) Mahesh Verma said Sarkata and several other drains fall under the electrical and mechanical wing and assured that safety measures at Adil Nagar would be addressed.
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Another resident, Mahua, said the area has remained under the LMC for more than five years and residents regularly pay house tax, yet basic civic infrastructure is still missing. According to residents, neither an effective drainage system has been built nor has the road been repaired, resulting in waterlogging after even light rainfall.
