Rain washes silt back into drains, LMC’s cleaning efforts go in waste

The silt removed during drain cleaning in the state capital and carelessly dumped on roads is now causing serious problems for commuters, and residents. After Thursday’s rainfall, the waste spread across major roads and, in several areas, washed back into the same drains from which it had been extracted. The Lucknow Municipal Corporation’s (LMC) failure to promptly remove the silt has not only caused inconvenience to residents but also necessitated repeated cleaning efforts.

The LMC is spending approximately ₹12 crore on a pre-monsoon desilting drive covering 335 medium-sized drains. However, private agencies contracted for the task are leaving the extracted silt along the roadside. Moreover, the extracted waste is often left unattended for several days, as the LMC fails to lift it promptly.

Poonam Srivastava, a daily commuter on the Kathauta stretch, expressed her frustration, “It is as if the drains were never cleaned. After every rain, the same silt returns. We are walking and driving through muck. This is a serious health hazard.”

“The agency’s job is to take out silt from the drains. LMC is responsible for picking it up from the roads. We are monitoring the situation and trying to clear the waste as fast as possible,” said Mahesh Verma, chief engineer (Civil), LMC.

However, Verma did not respond to the question about why the silt has not been removed so far. Meanwhile, ground reports highlight a sharp disconnect between official claims and the on-ground reality.

Earlier on Wednesday, municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar inspected several city zones and expressed dissatisfaction over the state of sanitation. He found overflowing drains, clogged silt, and garbage dumped by vendors. Following this, he directed LMC officials to complete the desilting work by May 31 and take immediate steps to clear the silt lying on roads.

Arif Khan, another commuter said, “The silt has been lying here for over around three days. I complained to the LMC helpline, but nothing happened. The area stinks, and the same material is spreading on the road soon after the rainfall.”