Lucknow Air Gets Cleaner, But Garbage Still Piles Up Across the City
Lucknow’s air quality story and its street-level sanitation story are moving in opposite directions. The city has cut annual average PM10 by about 47% over eight years and ranked top among Indian cities with populations above 10 lakh in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan. On the roads, though, overflowing dumps, foul odour and uncleared waste remain a daily complaint.
A Times of India reality check found mixed waste heaps along Dalibagh, Purania Road in Aliganj, Gokaran Nath Road, Balaganj, Acharya Narendradev Marg, Faizullahganj and Jankipuram. Residents said garbage often stayed uncleared for three to five days despite community bins.
Where the civic gap shows
Plastic wrappers, food waste, vegetable scrap and construction debris were seen spilling onto roadsides. Stagnant water around heaps added monsoon health worries. Stray cattle feeding on waste at places like Gokaran Nath Road and Dalibagh scattered refuse further and narrowed walking space.
Residents quoted in reports, including from Dalibagh, Balaganj and Jankipuram, linked delayed lifting to public health, mosquitoes and road safety. The contrast is sharper because Lucknow has also been celebrating its Swachh Vayu survey win.
What LMC says
Additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Srivastava said continuous rain may have delayed lifting, that garbage is now being cleared on time, and that waste would soon move to the processing plant. For neighbourhoods still living with roadside heaps, the test is whether that schedule holds after the next spell of rain.
Reporting based on The Times of India civic check.
