Choked tributaries are making Gomti gasp for life | Lucknow News

Lucknow: The Gomti is losing its pulse in the city—and the problem begins upstream. A field survey has found that its key tributaries like Behta, Sai, Kukrail, Reht and Nagwan are choked by encroachment and stagnation, cutting off the river’s natural recharge and sharply reducing its flow.The impact is stark on the Gomti River which serves as a lifeline for over 40 lakh residentsThe findings come from a study by the environmental science department of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, which tracked the river from its origin in Pilibhit through districts like Shahjahanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur and Hardoi, along with its tributary network.At Jehta village on Lucknow’s outskirts, the Behta river’s channel has narrowed due to encroachments and houses built along its course, while the surface is covered with water hyacinth and eelgrass. Poor flow velocity has hit the aquatic life– was recorded at 0.081 m/s and discharge at 0.486 m³/s, with only juvenile fish present and no larger species observed.The study found farming is rampant on the floodplain at the Behta-Gomti confluence, with solid waste, organic pollution and animal carcasses visible along the banks. This has affected water quality and the river-floodplain interaction.A similar pattern was recorded across other Gomti tributaries — Sai, Kukrail, Reht, Bakh, Loni, Akhraddi and Nagwan — where reduced flow, pollution and encroachment are limiting the river’s capacity to dilute pollutants and support aquatic life. These groundwater-fed streams depend on natural recharge, and falling groundwater levels are reducing their flow.“The Gomti cannot survive as a standalone channel. It depends on its tributaries, groundwater and floodplains working together,” said Venkatesh Dutta, lead researcher of the study and environmental science HOD at BBAU. “When feeder streams stop flowing, the river begins to fragment and lose its ecological balance.”The survey also covered stretches in Amethi and Sultanpur, where conditions differed, indicating uneven stress along the river.In a stretch near Thauri in Sultanpur district, the river maintained flow. The channel was about 62 metres wide with an average depth of 1.6 metres. Flow velocity was 0.403 m/s and discharge too were found better. was close to 40 m³/s.Water quality was within limits and with dissolved oxygen at 8.4 mg/L and pH around 8. fish species such as Rohu and Tengara were present. Erosion along concave banks was also observed.Prof Dutta said restoration must go beyond cleaning the main river channel. “The priority is to restore flow — without environmental flow, no river can survive,” he said, calling for revival of tributaries, reconnection of floodplains and protection of groundwater systems.River’s source in Pilibhit also shrinkingThe survey found low water levels, slow flow and dry stretches near Fulhar Jheel, the river’s source, across Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur and Hardoi. Many stretches had become shallow, with invasive plants spreading. Encroachment, loss of vegetation and unprotected wetlands were seen, while tributaries such as Katna, Bhainsi, Kathina and Behta showed low flow or seasonal drying. It also found that groundwater extraction reduced the river’s baseflow, and canal water was not returned during low-flow periods, affecting downstream areas. Pollution from ritual waste, plastic, untreated wastewater and runoff was recorded at several locations, along with faecal contamination.Key recommendations:*Ensure environmental flow (E-flow) throughout the year*Map tributaries from origin to confluence*Stop untreated discharge by tapping and treating drains*Create a 2-km river protection zone to prevent encroachment*Restore tributaries through desilting and channel correction*Recharge groundwater by reviving ponds in catchment areas*Improve sanitation in riverside villages and monitor contamination