India, Oct. 16 -- LUCKNOW As Lucknow surges ahead with ambitious urban development plans, environmentalists and city planners are sounding an alarm over the deteriorating health of the Gomti - a 960-km-long tributary of the Ganga, originating from Madho Tanda in Pilibhit and merging with the Ganga at Kaithi in Ghazipur. The river, central to Lucknow's geography and ecology, is under severe stress due to unregulated urbanisation and untreated sewage discharge.

The river, which spans 101 km through Lucknow - including 30 km of urban area - is the lifeline for the city's 40 lakh residents who depend on it for drinking water.

According to Lucknow Water Works (Jalkal) officials, 550 million litres of raw water is drawn from the Gomti every d...