Afternoon showers bring civic nightmare to Lucknow

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

LUCKNOW A spell of rain on Tuesday afternoon (1.6 mm) poured perennial problems on Lucknow in the form of waterlogged streets, traffic slowdown, power outages, fallen trees and overflowing drains, exposing the city's fragile infrastructure once again. The recurring issues left citizens fuming, raising questions over civic preparedness and the city's ability to manage even the early phases of the monsoon. A rickshaw overturned in a waterlogged lane in Maqboolganj, near Bhanumati crossing, in Lucknow on Tuesday. (Mushtaq Ali/HT Photo)
From Saadatganj to Gomti Nagar and from Amausi to Charbagh, streets resembled water bodies, trapping vehicles and leaving daily commuters stranded. Park Road, Hazratganj crossing, Matiyari, Polytechnic crossing, Maulviganj, Chowk, Sarojini Nagar, and other densely populated areas saw traffic snarls.
In Ramnagar Colony, under Tilak Nagar ward, an overflowing drain swallowed a car, which was later pulled out by locals.
A particularly alarming incident occurred in Rustam Nagar, where a JCB, engaged in drain-cleaning work, accidentally damaged an 11,000-volt power line, plunging nearby areas into darkness. In Maulviganj, the collapse of a transformer platform during the downpour led to the death of a cattle, underlining the dangers posed by exposed infrastructure.
The city is likely to receive one or two spells of rain/thundershowers while thunderstorm accompanied with lightning is very likely at isolated places over the next 24 hours. The maximum and minimum temperatures will be around 35 and 25 degrees, respectively.
Lucknow recorded maximum and minimum temperatures of 32.9 and 25.2 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Sarojini Nagar-II corporator Ram Naresh Rawat flagged the condition of the road near Amausi Metro Station. It was submerged under a foot of water after rain. He warned that over 20,000 residents and schoolchildren are at daily risk due to the deteriorating 800-meter road stretch, now riddled with deep potholes and lacking drainage. He demanded immediate elevation of the road and construction of a proper drain, sharing videos of the flooding with municipal authorities.
Another corporator Rajeev Bajpai also slammed the administration, saying that repeated appeals to address waterlogging and drain maintenance have gone unanswered. 'We have raised these issues in the House, but there's been no action,' he said.
In Aminabad, a massive tree fell near the medicine market, disrupting traffic and knocking out power supply. In Saadatganj's Mansoor Nagar, a vacant, dilapidated house collapsed due to the rain. Luckily, no casualties were reported.
Municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar conducted a late-evening inspection of flood-prone areas. Beginning in Gomti Nagar, he visited pumping stations and issued directives for urgent drainage operations. At the flooded underpass near gate no. 2 of Janeshwar Mishra Park, Kumar instructed engineers to install a permanent pump to prevent future flooding.
He also inspected a mini-stadium area in Chinhat and reviewed pump house performance at Sapna Sweets crossing, calling for equipment upgrades where needed. Kumar emphasised zero tolerance for negligence and ordered officials to map all flood-prone areas and ensure pumps are installed before more rainfall.
Power outages were reported from Indira Nagar Sector 14, Chinhat, Jankipuram, Ahibaranpur, Balaganj, Ashiana Sector J , Utrethia , Eldeco, Yaseenganj, Kesari Khera. Most of these areas suffered power cuts of more than four hours.
Forecast for next 24-48 hours
*The intensity of rainfall in the northern part of the state is likely to decrease while the monsoon activity in the southern part is likely to increase. Due to this, there is a possibility of heavy rainfall at some places in UP and very heavy rainfall at 1-2 places in the southern part during the next 24-48 hours, weatherman said.
*Under the influence of active to very active monsoon conditions, light to moderate rainfall with heavy, very heavy and extremely heavy rainfall was recorded at most places in the state during the last 48 to 60 hours.
*Churk got 25.6mm rainfall, Lakhimpur Kheri 24mm, Orai 18.2mm, Barabanki 18mm and Hardoi 10.4 mm.