LUCKNOW, July 22 -- Vehicles crawled through murky, sewage-like water, two-wheelers struggled to avoid potholes hidden beneath the flooded road and pedestrians waded through stagnant water as residents stood knee-deep in Malhaur on Tuesday, holding placards to protest what they described as years of civic neglect. The demonstration came as an HT ground inspection found several major drains across Lucknow still clogged with plastic waste and garbage despite the Lucknow Municipal Corporation's (LMC) pre-monsoon desilting drive and a sanitation budget of Rs.255 crore for 2026-27.

The protest unfolded on the busy road connecting Amity University with One World Township, a key link used daily by thousands of students, office-goers and residen...