LUCKNOW, Jan. 17 -- Sanitation failures - from littered streets to clogged drains and irregular waste collection - keep resurfacing in the state capital even after repeated inspections, warnings and punitive action by UP finance minister and Lucknow in-charge Suresh Khanna. Over the past several months, Khanna has repeatedly highlighted negligence in sanitation during field visits across the city. While officials rush to carry out cleanliness drives immediately after his inspections, the improvement remains short-lived. Within days, the same localities again witness open dumping of waste, non-functional streetlights and lax door-to-door garbage collection, pointing to a deeper problem of monitoring and accountability. The trend continued even on Friday when the minister conducted another inspection in parts of Zone 1, including key localities from the pumping station near Diamond Dairy, Yojana Bhawan, Udaiganj, Nazarbagh, Lalkuan and Sundarbagh. During the visit, the minister found clogged drains, accumulated debris and general filth in several pockets. He reprimanded the officials concerned and issued instructions for immediate corrective action. Khanna ordered prompt removal of debris dumped on a vacant plot that had remained unattended for years and directed officials to impose a fine on the plot owner for negligence. To deter recurring violations, the minister instructed civic authorities to penalise individuals found littering or dumping construction material on roads. He also asked LMC officials to deduct two days' salary of officers responsible. In October, Khanna had inspected several localities, including Rakabganj, Daliganj and Secretariat Colony, where heaps of garbage and choked drains were found. Expressing displeasure at the time, he ordered strict action against negligent contractors and directed the municipal administration to impose a Rs 10 lakh fine on the private agency responsible for sanitation in Zone 3. Similarly in December 2025, Khanna noticed overflowing drains, garbage-strewn streets and dysfunctional streetlights during his inspection of Zone 8, which includes Transport Nagar, Ashiana, Vrindavan, PGI and nearby areas. Even then also, he ordered a one-day salary deduction of three Zone 8 officials for the lapses. During earlier reviews, Khanna had also instructed officials to activate night sweeping systems, ensure regular drain cleaning and prevent garbage accumulation, especially in crowded markets and residential areas. However, the recurrence of the same issues has raised questions over the effectiveness of enforcement and follow-up by the civic machinery. Along with mayor Sushma Kharkwal, municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar and additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Srivastava were also present during the inspection....