Gomti set for rejuvenation, to be refilled through Indira Canal

Lucknow: Close on the lines of the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad—the drying river was linked with Narmada Canal so that it received water supply—the UP government is planning to feed clean water from Indira Canal to the drying Gomti through an aquaduct ahead of Chinhat.
Indira Canal emerges from the river Ghaghra from Girijapuri and supplies water to more than 10 districts including Lakhimpur Kheri, Lucknow, Barabanki and Rae Bareli.
In the supplementary budget released on Monday, the state government allocated Rs 1 crore for the construction of a barrage near Indira Canal’s aquaduct over the Gomti and Rs 24 crore for the channelisation of the river from the aquaduct to Gomti Barrage — a distance of about 8 km. This will help strengthen the course of the river, regulate its flow and help improve the river’s water quality.
The decision will be an added benefit for the city as the Union water resources ministry is already planning to reclaim and rejuvenate the Gomti from Gau Ghat to Gomti Barrage (about 12 km). Beyond the barrage, the state government is planning to feed the river through Indira Canal up till another 8 km.
Gomti, the lifeline of the city, has been drying consistently due to excessive silt deposition, irregular cleaning, obstructed flow and mixing of sewage and impurities from nearby drains and sewer pipelines. To maintain a healthy water flow, the irrigation department suggested feeding water through an aquaduct which Indira Canal forms above the river ahead of Chinhat between Sultanpur and Faizabad Roads.
This aquaduct was constructed in 1972. The government intends to construct a barrage near it to supply water from the aquaduct into the river to maintain a clean, healthy flow till Janeshwar Mishra Park and Gomti barrage. An official from the irrigation department said, “The idea is to insist the municipal corporation to channelise all its drains and sewer pipelines away from the river so as to direct all dirt to the outskirts. Once all impurities are channelised, we will feed clean water from the aquaduct of Indira Canal. This will ensure clean water flow in upstream region of Gomti till the barrage”.
The barrage will prevent backflow of dirty water upstream. The water supply from canal will help in recharging the groundwater table with clean water. “Lucknow’s water table is increasingly getting polluted due to sewage and impurities’ discharge. Feeding clean water will ensure clean water recharge and quality supply through submersibles, hand-pumps and tube-wells to the people,” said the department.
The other major task is dredging and channelisation of the river. Due to insufficient cleaning over the years, layers of silt and impurities have deposited inside the river bed. The government has sanctioned Rs 24 crore to the irrigation department for thorough de-silting and removal of obstructions along the river’s coast to ensure proper flow.
While the irrigation department is waiting for disbursement of funds to start working on the river’s detailed project report (DPR), the team from WAPCOS (a consultancy under the water resources ministry) is waiting for the Centre’s approval to prepare a DPR from Gau Ghat to Gomti Barrage. The consultancy was roped in after home minister and Lucknow MP Rajnath Singh insisted water resources minister Uma Bharti to help in reclaiming the river.
Meanwhile, about Rs 39 crore have also been disbursed from infrastructure funds to the irrigation department and LDA for developing the riverfront and riverbank landscape from Daliganj to Hanuman Setu.
Cleaner and better
Irrigation department will get Rs 24 crore for thorough cleaning and channelisation of river
A barrage to be constructed on Indira Canal’s aquaduct to feed clean water into Gomti
Barrage will prevent backflow of dirty water in upstream region and ensure uninterrupted clean supply from canal
This will ensure maintaining a clean water flow till Janeshwar Mishra Park and Gomti Barrage
The clean flow will help in clean recharge of ground water and clean water supply to the people
LMC will be asked to divert all its drains and sewer pipelines away from the river, outside city
Rs 39 crore already disbursed under infrastructure funds to develop riverfront project
Centre’s approval awaited to make DPR on rejuvenating river from Gau Ghat to Gomti Barrage