Stories
Lucknow Floods: Has Urbanisation Left The Gomti With Too Little Room To Breathe?
- •Recent flooding in Lucknow was triggered by heavy upstream rainfall and delayed runoff traveling from upper catchments over eight to ten days.
- •Urbanisation and major projects like the Gomti Riverfront have significantly narrowed the river's natural floodplain and waterway.
- •Environmental studies show that channelising the river reduced fish habitat types from eight to just two, severely impacting aquatic life.
- •Officials including principal secretary Anil Garg acknowledged that urban encroachment on floodplains has confined water to a narrower corridor, increasing inundation risks.
- •Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered surveys for new embankment systems and protective infrastructure to safeguard vulnerable low-lying settlements.
Key Questions Answered
The flooding in Lucknow was primarily triggered by exceptionally heavy rainfall across the Gomti's upstream basin between September 25 and 27, with runoff taking eight to ten days to travel downstream. Additionally, officials cited smaller rivers reaching capacity and the steady urbanisation and encroachment over the river's natural floodplain as major contributing factors.
The Gomti Riverfront project involved straightening the river and constructing reinforced diaphragm walls along both banks, which reclaimed around 200 hectares of land. Environmental assessments found that these modifications narrowed the floodplain along the developed stretch from about 450 metres down to 240 metres, while the clear waterway was reduced from roughly 250 metres to between 100 and 125 metres.
Following recent flooding, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered a survey for a proposed embankment system extending from Bakshi Ka Talab towards Naimisharanya in Sitapur. Furthermore, the Lucknow Development Authority has proposed a Rs 182-crore embankment along the Gomti from IIM Road towards Hardinge Bridge via Khadra to protect vulnerable areas like Faizullaganj and Daud Nagar.
