LUCKNOW, Aug. 4 -- Two consecutive days of rainfall exposed the fragile civic infrastructure of the state capital as several areas reportedly witnessed waterlogging and waste scattered across roads, raising concerns about the effectiveness of Lucknow's sanitation management. Despite bagging the third rank in the million-plus population category under the new ranking system introduced in the Swachhta Survekshan 2024, open dumping of waste continues unchecked in multiple localities. The persistent rain since Sunday morning turned these dumping spots into floating garbage yards. During the HT re-visit to multiple areas, a stretch on the route from Arjunganj to Sultanpur Road was found waterlogged. "This is a persistent issue near Kisan Bazaar in Vibhuti Khand. The garbage dumped on the roadside got scattered during the downpour today and now, the entire lane is flooded," Utkarsh Pandey, a commuter, said. The situation was no different near the Engineering College flyover on Sitapur Road. "The roadside here has become a permanent dumping spot. The garbage is now floating in the waterlogged roads," Nabeel Siddiqui, another commuter, said. Residents accused the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) of delaying on-ground action. Complaints are made, but action is either delayed or temporary, said locals. An LMC official acknowledged the issue, saying garbage scattered across roads plays a major role in choking nullahs. "Unattended waste on roads clogs drainage paths," the official said. LMC officials said emergency operations were launched across all eight zones as complaints related to waterlogging and choked drains poured in. Municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar directed zonal officers, teams of sanitation and engineering staff to act immediately. The teams installed pumping sets in flooded areas and cleared blocked drains to ease water flow, according to a release issued on Sunday....