When it originates from a lake called Fulhaar Jheel near Madho Tanda
east of Pilibhit, the Gomti is a stream. Gradually, it starts growing.
Around 100 km away from the point of its origin, this stream is joined
by tributaries like Sukheta, Choha and Andhra Choha near Mohammadi
Kheri, a tehsil of Lakhimpur Kheri. The stream now turns into a river.
But, as it is said, civilisations germinate in the vicinity of a river
and threaten its very existence. The Gomti's story is no different.
The river is under 'assault' at various points of its journey as it meanders through the 900-km stretch of rich alluvial plains of Uttar Pradesh. From industrial effluents to domestic discharge, the river becomes more of a flowing dumping yard for the 15 smaller and bigger towns, including Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Lucknow, Sultanpur and Jaunpur, in its catchment area. The river is still somewhat clean — or it cleanses itself through a natural oxidation process — when it approaches Balaganj in Lucknow. Balaganj is 250 km away from Fulhaar Jheel.
It is here in Balaganj that the British had set up a raw water pumping station – the Gaughat pumping station. After all, the river water was supposed to quench the thirst of hundreds and thousands of people of Lucknow. The river meanders for another 12 km through the middle of the state capital — and then shrinks. The surging 25 big nullahs fill the river with domestic discharge. And thus at Gomti Barrage, the river is reduced to a mere 'dead' water body. The flow almost stops and the dissolved oxygen is gone.
''Aquatic life is severely affected because of this. Fish die and whatever planktons (water plants) are left in the river are destroyed,'' said former chief environment engineer of UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), K K Sharma. According to water pollution norms, dissolved oxygen levels should be in the range of at least 3 milligram per litre for any aquatic life to survive. Experts points out that at Gomti Barrage, the dissolved oxygen is often below 1 milligram per litre which results in heavy aquatic mortality. Recently, Uttar Pradesh Machuhara Sangh had put forth its demand for immediate redressal of the problem. ''Let's hope that the newly constructed Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and increased public awareness would make things better,'' Sharma said.
The Gomti leaves the barrage like a prisoner out from jail but still in shackles. The river drags itself from here on, all the while making an attempt to break free – trying to purifying itself through the natural oxidation process.
Around 150 km downstream, it reaches Jagdishpur where once again 'purified' raw water is tapped and pumped into the town for drinking purpose. The river passes through Sultanpur and eventually meets the Ganga near Saidpur, Kaithi in Ghazipur. According to a report of the Centre for Science and Environment, the riverine biota being affected by pollution is an indicator of an impending ecological disaster. ''The government should conduct further bio-mapping of the river'', the report noted. It is not so that conservation efforts were not made. The Gomti Action Plan (GAP) was a major step. The plan was formulated in 1993 for three towns -- Sultanpur, Jaunpur and Lucknow -- situated along the banks of the Gomti. The approved cost of the project was Rs 61.01 crore against which the component for Sultanpur and Jaunpur was Rs 10.72 crore and that for Lucknow Rs 50.29 crore. The implementation of the project in these towns was started on the sanctioned schemes but was delayed primarily due to delay in acquisition of land, according to a report of UP Jal Nigam. In the meantime, the cost of works more than doubled and went up to Rs. 8.99 crore for Sultanpur and Rs. 18.12 crore for Jaunpur.
The Gomti Action Plan at Lucknow was started in 1995 with British financial assistance through the erstwhile Overseas Development Agency of the UK Government. As part of it, Rs 5.92 crore were spent on cleaning of some of the trunk sewers and conducting their survey through close circuit television (CCTVs) cameras, some emergent sewerage works, and the cleaning of two major nullahs, namely Sarkata and Pata Nala. The British government, however, terminated the financial assistance in July, 1997. Since then, the action plan is being funded jointly by the Centre and state.
According to a Jal Nigam report, nine schemes were approved by the Centre for Rs 42.90 crore, against which seven schemes of interception and diversion and a 42 mld sewage treatment plant were completed in 2003. The diversion and treatment of sewage of remaining 19 drains at Lucknow, a comprehensive project costing Rs. 263.26 crore, was approved by the Centre under phase II of the plan.
Gomti Action Plan.
The setting up of 345 mld STP in Bharwara is part of the overall plan.
The river is under 'assault' at various points of its journey as it meanders through the 900-km stretch of rich alluvial plains of Uttar Pradesh. From industrial effluents to domestic discharge, the river becomes more of a flowing dumping yard for the 15 smaller and bigger towns, including Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Lucknow, Sultanpur and Jaunpur, in its catchment area. The river is still somewhat clean — or it cleanses itself through a natural oxidation process — when it approaches Balaganj in Lucknow. Balaganj is 250 km away from Fulhaar Jheel.
It is here in Balaganj that the British had set up a raw water pumping station – the Gaughat pumping station. After all, the river water was supposed to quench the thirst of hundreds and thousands of people of Lucknow. The river meanders for another 12 km through the middle of the state capital — and then shrinks. The surging 25 big nullahs fill the river with domestic discharge. And thus at Gomti Barrage, the river is reduced to a mere 'dead' water body. The flow almost stops and the dissolved oxygen is gone.
''Aquatic life is severely affected because of this. Fish die and whatever planktons (water plants) are left in the river are destroyed,'' said former chief environment engineer of UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), K K Sharma. According to water pollution norms, dissolved oxygen levels should be in the range of at least 3 milligram per litre for any aquatic life to survive. Experts points out that at Gomti Barrage, the dissolved oxygen is often below 1 milligram per litre which results in heavy aquatic mortality. Recently, Uttar Pradesh Machuhara Sangh had put forth its demand for immediate redressal of the problem. ''Let's hope that the newly constructed Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and increased public awareness would make things better,'' Sharma said.
The Gomti leaves the barrage like a prisoner out from jail but still in shackles. The river drags itself from here on, all the while making an attempt to break free – trying to purifying itself through the natural oxidation process.
Around 150 km downstream, it reaches Jagdishpur where once again 'purified' raw water is tapped and pumped into the town for drinking purpose. The river passes through Sultanpur and eventually meets the Ganga near Saidpur, Kaithi in Ghazipur. According to a report of the Centre for Science and Environment, the riverine biota being affected by pollution is an indicator of an impending ecological disaster. ''The government should conduct further bio-mapping of the river'', the report noted. It is not so that conservation efforts were not made. The Gomti Action Plan (GAP) was a major step. The plan was formulated in 1993 for three towns -- Sultanpur, Jaunpur and Lucknow -- situated along the banks of the Gomti. The approved cost of the project was Rs 61.01 crore against which the component for Sultanpur and Jaunpur was Rs 10.72 crore and that for Lucknow Rs 50.29 crore. The implementation of the project in these towns was started on the sanctioned schemes but was delayed primarily due to delay in acquisition of land, according to a report of UP Jal Nigam. In the meantime, the cost of works more than doubled and went up to Rs. 8.99 crore for Sultanpur and Rs. 18.12 crore for Jaunpur.
The Gomti Action Plan at Lucknow was started in 1995 with British financial assistance through the erstwhile Overseas Development Agency of the UK Government. As part of it, Rs 5.92 crore were spent on cleaning of some of the trunk sewers and conducting their survey through close circuit television (CCTVs) cameras, some emergent sewerage works, and the cleaning of two major nullahs, namely Sarkata and Pata Nala. The British government, however, terminated the financial assistance in July, 1997. Since then, the action plan is being funded jointly by the Centre and state.
According to a Jal Nigam report, nine schemes were approved by the Centre for Rs 42.90 crore, against which seven schemes of interception and diversion and a 42 mld sewage treatment plant were completed in 2003. The diversion and treatment of sewage of remaining 19 drains at Lucknow, a comprehensive project costing Rs. 263.26 crore, was approved by the Centre under phase II of the plan.
Gomti Action Plan.
The setting up of 345 mld STP in Bharwara is part of the overall plan.
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