Lucknow: After two weeks of flooding, the Gomti river finally began receding on Saturday, bringing some relief to thousands of residents in low-lying areas. The river level dropped 6 cm since Friday to 107.2 meters at 6pm, remaining 1.22 meters below the warning mark of 108.50 meters.However, the decline offers little immediate respite to residents of Faizullahganj, Daud Nagar, Mama Colony and adjoining settlements, where floodwaters have entered homes, damaged belongings. Water trapped in interior colonies may take several days to drain even after the river recedes.“We stocked ration for a few days when the water started rising and blocked roads. The groceries are now running out, and we are struggling to meet our basic needs,” said Danish Mahfooz, a Faizullahganj resident.Vimal Yadav of Mama Colony said water over five feet deep entered his house, damaging furniture and electronic appliances. “We could not shift them to the first floor in time. We have lost everything,” he said.The flooding has revived memories of 2008, when the Gomti similarly inundated parts of Lucknow. However, an irrigation department official said the impact on residential settlements was considerably greater this time because of increasing habitation along the river’s floodplains.“In 2008, floodwaters had reached Vipul Khand, but the inconvenience to residents was nowhere near what we are witnessing today. Nearly 40,000 people have been affected this time, primarily because residential settlements have expanded closer to the river. Around two decades ago, the Gomti had vast open floodplains where excess water could spread and eventually recede without causing such widespread disruption,” the official said.Extensive construction and encroachments on floodplains over the years have reduced the natural space available for floodwaters to spread, leaving densely populated settlements increasingly vulnerable to inundation.BJP teams, including Lucknow North MLA Neeraj Bora, MLC Mukesh Sharma and other party functionaries, continued distributing food packets, drinking water and daily essentials to affected families. Meanwhile, relief operations continued across affected localities. Cooked food, drinking water and essential supplies are being transported by boats to inundated settlements. Administration has deployed 52 boats were operating in Faizullahganj for relief distribution and transportation.The administration has established a relief camp at Hayat Nagar, deployed round-the-clock medical and revenue teams, arranged mobile toilets and stationed forest department personnel to rescue snakes and other animals entering flooded settlements.“The water has started receding, but relief teams will continue providing affected residents with food, drinking water, medicines and other essential amenities,” said district magistrate Vishakh G.LMC has also deployed water tankers and sanitation workers, besides undertaking anti-larval spraying and fogging to minimise the risk of disease outbreaks.Irrigation department officials said declining water levels upstream at Neemsar and Bhatpurwa in Sitapur indicated that flood surge was easing.Yet, for families whose homes, shops and vehicles remain submerged, the falling river level marks only the beginning of recovery.Rajnath takes stock of situationDefence minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh reviewed the flood situation through a video call with affected resident Rajmani Tiwari, enquiring about water levels and whether relief materials were reaching stranded families. He also spoke to district administration officials, including the ADM City and SDM Sadar, directing them to expedite relief operations and ensure that essential supplies reached every affected family.
