Perennial river to ‘slow-moving drain’, Gomti water quality raises alarm in Lucknow

The Gomti, a perennial river often considered sacred, is stinking due to untreated sewage, industrial and human waste that make its water unfit for even aquatic life in Lucknow, the data available with experts and the authorities indicate.

The factors of concern include water hyacinth visible on the surface, dissolved faecal coliform, which indicates sewage contamination, and methane bubbles, a potent greenhouse gas. The presence of all these worrying signs suggests pollution is snuffing the life out of animals right down to the riverbed.

The faecal coliform in the river at Kudiaghat in the state capital was 40,000MPN (Most Probable Number)/100ml while the maximum permissible limit is 2500, according to the data available with experts. At Nishatganj bridge, the faecal coliform level was 49,000 MPN/100ml and at Pipraghat 79,000 MPN/100ml in March.

Field surveys, drone footage, and other reports have revealed the river’s rapid deterioration, particularly through Lucknow, where untreated sewage and industrial waste have transformed it into a polluted water body unfit even for bathing.

The April report, backed by a drone survey, reveals methane hotspots in the river. In April, a joint survey was conducted by Professor Venkatesh Dutta of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), students of environmental science, the chief engineer of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation and the Ecological Task Force. Their findings were alarming.

“Large methane bubbles were observed at multiple sites downstream of the confluence of the Sarkata Nala — a major drain discharging untreated sewage directly into the Gomti,” Prof Dutta said. The area is supposed to be serviced by the Daulatganj Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), which has a capacity of 56 MLD, but raw sewage is bypassing treatment and entering the river.

“It was shocking to witness methane hotspots and the strong stench of raw sewage. It’s no longer a river, but a slow-moving drain,” Prof Dutta said.

A March report said the water quality plunged as the river entered Lucknow. According to Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), the Gomti maintains drinkable water quality up to Dadhamau Ghat in Sitapur but upon entering Lucknow, its condition rapidly declines.

At Manjhighat and Gaughat, the river’s water slips to the category ‘D’ — unsuitable for bathing or supporting aquatic life. From Kudiaghat to Pipraghat, it deteriorates further to Category ‘E’, the lowest classification, suitable only for industrial cooling or irrigation.

A GRIM PICTURE

Dissolved oxygen (DO), a key marker for aquatic life, drops from 10.7 mg/L at Manjhighat to just 2.9 mg/L at Kudiaghat, and a deadly 1.6 mg/L at Pipraghat. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), which is an indicator of organic pollution, rises from 3.10 at Manjhighat to 8.20 at Kudiaghat and peaks to 12 at Pipraghat — levels far beyond safe limits for human use.

The faecal coliform level, which indicates sewage contamination, spikes from 2,000 MPN/100ml at Manjhighat to 40,000 at Kudiaghat, 68,000 at the barrage, and a staggering 120,000 MPN/100ml near Bharwara. Professor Dutta said, “The Gomti, a river with cultural and historical significance, has turned into a drain, where present water quality parameters no longer justify calling it a river. Now, it’s a water body stripped of its vitality.” Data from the operational sewage treatment plants, too, makes it clear that untreated water is being allowed to flow into the river. Municipal corporation officials admit that approximately 33 major nullahs discharge around 700 million litres per day (MLD) waste into local water bodies. However, the current capacity of operational STPs of state capital falls significantly short of this figure. The Bharwara STP is the largest facility with a treatment capacity of 345 MLD (million litres per day). Other key operational STPs include Daulatganj (56 MLD), Daulatganj II (14 MLD) and Vrindavan Colony (37.5 MLD). The 120 MLD plant on the Haider Canal is partially operational.

Combined, these facilities have a capacity of 459 MLD but are unable to process the total daily discharge effectively, leaving a substantial volume of untreated sewage to flow into the water. Officials say efforts are underway to bridge this gap. A new 39 MLD STP is under construction at Daulatganj. Additionally, a new 120 MLD STP has been proposed on the Kila Mohammadi Drain near the Sai River. The Jal Nigam’s rural wing is expected to issue tenders for this project soon.

Environmentalist VK Joshi said, “These developments are promising, but there is an urgency of completing these projects to ensure comprehensive wastewater management and environmental protection.”

Increasing volume of wastewater in a fast expanding city with new colonies coming up on Hardoi road, Sitapur road, BKT, Sarojini Nagar, South City, Rae Bareli Road, Sultanpur Road pose a challenge.

An official of UPPCB, on condition of anonymity, said,” One cannot do anything if the STPs are pumping out untreated water into the river.”

Unchecked pollution not only threatens aquatic biodiversity but also poses a severe risk to human health and urban ecology. Environmentalists are calling for urgent corrective measures — upgrading sewage treatment capacity, stopping illegal discharges, and enforcing strict water quality monitoring — to prevent the river from collapsing entirely. Major Kanwardeep Nagi of the Ecological Task Force said, “Without swift intervention, the Gomti risks becoming not just unfit for use, but an ecological casualty in the heart of one of India’s major cities.”

The Gomti is a major groundwater-fed river traversing a course of 960 km across the Ganga Alluvial Plain through various cities and towns, including Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur, Hardoi, Sitapur, Lucknow, Barabanki, Sultanpur, Jaunpur, and Ghazipur districts of Uttar Pradesh. But the state of affairs seems to be the worst in Lucknow.