Funding deadlock: Lko’s Kathauta lake desilting stalled, water crisis looms for lakhs

A looming water crisis threatens over five lakh residents in Gomti Nagar and Chinhat as the much-needed desilting of Kathauta Lake remains stalled due to a funding deadlock. Despite the Lucknow Jal Nigam sanctioning the project tender in 2024, the cleaning work has yet to begin, worsening water storage issues for the upcoming summer.

The lake, a crucial backup when the irrigation department halts supply twice a year, has not been cleaned for several years. As a result, its water storage capacity has plummeted, leaving only a 15-day backup instead of the usual 30 days.

“The delay could disrupt supply to nearly one lakh households, affecting around five lakh residents, making summer even more difficult for residents,” Jalkal officials warned on Monday.

According to department officials, Kathauta lake was built in 2011, and the last desilting was carried out in 2017, during which over 20,000 cubic metres of silt was removed. However, that desilting was limited to the sidings and did not cover the entire lake.

“Kathauta Lake is designed to hold 1,230 million litres of water but is typically filled with 1,500–1,600 million litres to ensure a 30-day supply. The excess water is stored in additional space around the lake, acting as a reserve during supply disruptions,” he added. “However, with over 5 lakh cubic metres of silt accumulated, desilting is urgently needed to restore its full capacity. Currently, the lake holds only 500 million litres of water, raising concerns about an impending shortage, according to Jalkal officials.”

Water from Kathauta Lake is supplied to Mulayam Nagar, Sector A, Sector D, Sector 9, Sector 16, parts of Indira Nagar, and most areas of Gomti Nagar, he said. “If desilting does not begin soon, these areas could face severe water shortages in the coming months,” another official informed.

A 2023 meeting involving the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), Jal Nigam, and Jalkal had decided that Jal Nigam would oversee desilting, with funds allocated through the 15th finance commission via the LMC. However, financial approval is yet to come through, an official told Hindustan Times.

Jal Nigam superintendent engineer Sameen Akhtar confirmed that while the tender process is complete, the lack of financial clearance has stalled the project. “Without funds, we cannot proceed or finalise the bond with the private company awarded the tender,” he said.

Even if funds are sanctioned immediately, desilting would take at least two months. “This work cannot be done during the monsoon. The best time for cleaning is the dry months, and we are already behind schedule,” Akhtar added.

Officials from the Water Works (Jalkal) department distanced themselves from the issue, saying the responsibility lies with Jal Nigam. “LMC is handling multiple civic projects and does not have sufficient funds for this work,” a department official said.

Notably, municipal commissioner Inderjit Singh visited Kathauta Lake in February and was briefed on the risks posed by the delay. Despite this, the funding issue remains unresolved.

With summer approaching, residents fear the worst. “Every year, we struggle with water shortages. If the lake isn’t cleaned, we don’t know how we’ll manage,” said Prakash, a resident of Gomti Nagar.

Another resident, Sunita Singh, questioned the delay. “The authorities knew this problem was coming. Why didn’t they act earlier? Now, when water demand is rising, they’re still stuck over funds,” she said.