LUCKNOW, Aug. 4 -- Despite repeated clean-up drives, the Gomti remains choked with water hyacinth as the recent efforts to restore the river yet again yielded short-lived results.

On Thursday evening, its banks revealed large swathes of the river covered by dense water hyacinth. Observers said officials cleared one stretch while neglecting upstream sources, allowing weeds and pollutants to flow back downstream and nullifying earlier efforts.

This comes barely weeks after mayor Sushma Kharkwal and municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar directed civic officials to take immediate steps for the Gomti's cleaning and constant monitoring.

The river, which originates from Gomat Taal near Madho Tanda in Pilibhit, flows around 900 km and passes thr...