Lucknow: Just 40 minutes of heavy thunder shower left many parts of the state capital under ankle-deep to knee-deep water on Tuesday afternoon, exposing poor drainage system in the city.Some of the worst-affected stretches included the underpass near Taj Hotel in Gomti Nagar, Daliganj underpass and parts of Aashiana, Indiranagar and Chinhat, where knee-deep water accumulated after the prolonged spell.In several residential areas, rainwater entered homes and lanes.“Every time there is heavy rain, the same problems return, with water entering the colony, confining residents to their homes,” said Sunil Tyagi, a resident near Marine Drive, Gomti Nagar, adding, “We have raised the issue with LMC several times, but there has been no permanent solution.”The area was submerged under about two feet of water, which entered several houses and left children, the elderly and working residents stranded indoors.Indiranagar resident, Ravi Bajaj, said, “Rainwater got inside the lane within minutes. We had to keep our vehicles off the road and stop children from going outside. Our biggest worry is that the water takes time to drain even after the rain stops.”Residents In Indiranagar had to use buckets to drain rainwater from their bedrooms. Resident Pooja Sharma blamed LMC for what they termed as lethargic civic action. “This is not just about waterlogging; it is a complete failure of civic responsibility. Where is LMC when residents need them most,” Sharma said.The rain also exposed infrastructure vulnerabilities. In Chinhat, an approximately eight-foot-deep section of road collapsed near a sewer manhole outside Rolex apartment.Chinhat resident Kavya Singh said, “We saw the road give way near the sewer line. It is frightening because people use this road throughout the day. After such heavy rain, there should be proper barricading and immediate repairs.”Several other areas also reported flooding. In Sitapur Road Yojana, lanes were inundated and water entered houses. In Golaganj’s Kachcha Hata area, around 100 families were affected, disrupting movement in and out of the locality.Narendra Kashyap from Golaganj said, “People are waiting for water level to recede before they can go out for work or buying essential items.”Hazratganj, Bhootnath market, Vikrant Khand and Aziz Nagar also reported water accumulation. At Aziz Nagar, an overflowing drain spilled onto the road, prompting residents to demand a permanent solution.For children, the flooded streets meant staying indoors.Resident of Aashiana, Ajay Singh, said, “Back from school, we usually step out to play but there was so much water on the road that my parents told me not to go out. Even walking to nearby shops was difficult.”Power supply was also affected, with prolonged outages reported in Chinhat and adjoining localities.Resident of Chinhat, Shruti Kumar, said, “Power went out while rain was at its peak. With flooded roads outside and no electricity inside, families were stuck at home.”LMC chief engineer Mahesh Chandra Verma said, “Pumping sets have been deployed to remove excess water. No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere.”
