Lucknow: More than 1,300 locations across the city have storm-water drains connected to sewer lines instead of the drainage network, raising concerns about sewer overflows, waterlogging and foul smell during the monsoon, according to a survey conducted by Suez India Pvt Ltd, the ‘One City One Operator’ agency engaged by Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) for sewer cleaning.The survey covered six city zones, excluding zones 5 and 8, which will be taken up later. The problem was found across almost every municipal zone, suggesting a citywide issue stemming from years of planning and maintenance lapses. Engineers found rainwater being diverted into sewer lines, leading to overflows during heavy rainfall. Such connections violate norms laid down by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO), which suggest storm water drains should be separate from sewage lines.Besides the connections, the survey found drains clogged with mud, garbage and construction debris, along with damaged drain walls, broken sewer chambers, buried manholes, inadequate depth and faulty gradients that hinder the flow of storm-water into trunk drains. In several locations, drains had become non-functional because of poor upkeep. This can cause waterlogging in these localities due to overflowing in monsoon.To address the issue, the report recommends disconnecting storm-water drains from the sewer network and linking them to nearby trunk drains after desilting, repairing damaged structures and correcting slopes. While some locations need only short stretches of new drains, others require extensive civil works and new drainage lines.In the worst affected area, Rajendranagar, roadside drains were found discharging into sewer lines through 4-inch pipes without protective grills, allowing garbage to repeatedly enter the network.In Jankipuram, some drains require new connections of up to 1.2 km and 2 km to reach the nearest trunk drain. In Gomtinagar and Chinhat, several locations need links of 250-300 mt, while parts of old Lucknow require new storm-water drains extending up to 1.5 km.With monsoon showers expected, experts warned that the existing system could come under severe stress if corrective measures are not implemented before peak rainfall, increasing the risk of waterlogging, sewage spillover and water-borne diseases.When contacted, Jalkal general manager Kuldeep Singh said, “We recently held a meeting with state govt officials and prepared a plan of action. New construction work will be undertaken to separate these connections.”DRAINAGE HOTSPOTS IDENTIFIED IN LUCKNOWZone 1 (46 points)Areas: Hazratganj, Nazarbagh, Lal Kuan, Vikramaditya Marg and adjoining wardsIssues: Drains linked to sewers, clogged channels and damaged chambers causing frequent overflowsZone 2 (87 points)Areas: Rajendranagar, Naka Hindola and adjoining localitiesIssues: Illegal sewer connections, encroachments, buried manholes and damaged drainsZone 3 (295 points)Areas: Jankipuram, Aliganj, Vikasnagar, Khurramnagar, Mahanagar and nearby areas.Issues: Faulty connections, poor drain gradients, debris accumulation and missing links in the drainage network. Some stretches need connections of up to 2 kmZone 4 (342 points)Areas: Gomtinagar, Chinhat, Patrakarpuram, Paper Mill Colony, New Hyderabad and surrounding sectorsIssues: Large-scale drainage failures, damaged sewer chambers and missing drain links of up to 300 mtZone 6 (499 points)Areas: Alamnagar, Para, Sahadatganj, New Haiderganj, Ashok Vihar, Raj Garden and nearby localitiesIssues: The worst-affected zone, with drains located far from trunk nalas and requiring extensive reconstruction, widening and slope correctionZone 7 (56 points)Areas: Indiranagar, Takrohi, Ismailganj, Matiyari and adjoining coloniesIssues: Faulty drain-to-sewer links, blocked outfalls, broken drains and missing outletsTotal: 1,325 problem spots identified across six municipal zones
