Plastic, construction debris, household and organic waste were found scattered across the dry riverbed

Lucknow: Large-scale dumping of garbage along a 2-km stretch of the Gomti riverbank between G20 Circle and Shiv Shakti Dham temple is likely to be washed into the river during rainfall.This was revealed during a recent TOI reality check of the stretch ahead of monsoon.Plastic, construction debris, household and organic waste were found scattered across the dry riverbed and embankments, with some heaps reaching stagnant water pools connected to the river.Residents said several small garbage mounds have formed due to continuous accumulation of waste over the past seven years, allegedly dumped by builders and civic agencies. They added that sewage flowing into the river has further worsened accumulation along the riverbanks.Residents and environmental experts said loose waste dumped on soil slopes could be washed into the Gomti during rainfall. A Gomti Nagar Extension resident, Prashant Singh, said, “This water is supplied to the city after treatment. If dumping continues like this, how will the authorities be able to clean it?”“Once plastic enters the river, it breaks down into microplastics and enters the food chain, while decomposing organic waste reduces dissolved oxygen levels, affecting aquatic life,” said Prof Venketesh Dutta, head, department of environmental sciences, BBAU. He added that leachate from the waste can carry harmful chemicals into the river during rains.Public health expert Dr Amit Singh said such dumping could become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies and that burning of waste could release toxic fumes affecting air quality.Officials of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, Lucknow Development Authority and the irrigation department said they had no information on how the waste got accumulated at the site.Zonal supervisor of LMC Pankaj Shukla said the land belongs to LDA and it is responsible for preventing such dumping. “If LDA requests, we can assist in clearing the waste,” he said.Ajit Kumar, executive engineer, LDA, however, denied that the land belongs to the authority and said a 100-metre stretch along the riverbank falls under the irrigation department.Executive engineer of the irrigation department Mukesh Kumar Vaish said that under the Environment Act, 2007, waste management within city limits is the responsibility of LMC. He added that the department neither dumped the garbage nor is it mandated or equipped to clear such waste.