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MLA writes to Chief Minister seeking an expert-led development framework, complete halt to illegal colonies and “Green Lucknow Mission 2035”
Lucknow | September 5, 2026
Sarojininagar MLA Dr. Rajeshwar Singh has written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath seeking a comprehensive economic, urban-planning and governance package for Lucknow and its inclusion in the next State Budget. He thanked the Chief Minister for sanctioning approximately ₹175 crore for waterlogging mitigation and the remodelling of the Kila Mohammadi drain, while praising Lucknow’s transformation through the Metro, Outer Ring Road, Gomti Riverfront, expressways and improved law and order.
Dr. Singh stated that Lucknow’s population has increased from 16.7 lakh in 1991 to approximately 42–43 lakh today, while its built-up area has expanded from 48 sq. km to more than 310 sq. km. The city must now also anchor the integrated development of the 27,826-sq.-km Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region (SCR), comprising Lucknow, Hardoi, Sitapur, Unnao, Rae Bareli and Barabanki. Planning for the capital can, therefore, no longer remain confined to municipal boundaries; an integrated regional roadmap extending to 2050 is essential.
He described waterlogging, traffic congestion, inadequate sewerage, more than 500 unauthorised colonies, nearly 2,000 metric tonnes of daily solid waste and approximately 18.5 lakh tonnes of legacy waste as the “problems of success” created by Lucknow’s rapid expansion. Groundwater extraction is reportedly nearly 17 times the natural recharge, while a further decline of 20–25 metres in the water table by 2031 and land subsidence of around four centimetres annually in certain areas present serious warnings.
Dr. Singh proposed a High-Powered, Multi-Year Expert Committee comprising urban planners, hydrogeologists, environmental experts, engineers, transport planners and financial specialists. The committee should coordinate the LDA, Municipal Corporation, Jal Nigam, Groundwater Department, UP Pollution Control Board and Housing and Urban Planning Department under the leadership of a sufficiently senior officer. He also sought an early meeting of the SCR authority.
He said, “The bureaucracy in the LDA, Municipal Corporation and other departments is essential for implementing policies and plans. However, long-term policies and development plans for Lucknow and the SCR must be formulated at the senior level with the guidance of domain specialists. The administration must then ensure their timely, accountable and effective execution.”
He added, “The Hon’ble Mayor—and indeed none of us serving as public representatives—can be expected to be an expert in town planning. A politician is, by nature, a generalist. I say this as much about myself as about anyone else.”
Dr. Singh demanded a complete halt to new illegal colonies and unauthorised construction. He proposed satellite and drone surveillance, intervention at the layout stage, integration of Tehsil and Sub-Registrar records with the LDA’s approved-layout database, strict enforcement of RERA and planning laws, and criminal proceedings against land mafias.
He observed, “An illegal colony does not appear overnight.” Accountability must be fixed upon officials of the LDA, Municipal Corporation and Tehsil administration who remain silent while such developments take shape. Once an illegal colony is occupied, residents naturally seek roads, drains, sewerage, water supply and streetlights from public representatives. This creates continuous and avoidable pressure on elected representatives, civic bodies and the public exchequer. The coloniser earns the profit from illegal development, but taxpayers ultimately bear the cost of providing its infrastructure. The concerns of existing residents must simultaneously be addressed through a transparent, legally compliant and financially sustainable policy.
Dr. Singh noted that the Lucknow Municipal Corporation’s annual budget of approximately ₹4,304 crore is inadequate for the city’s population, expansion and metropolitan responsibilities. To strengthen the finances of the LDA and Municipal Corporation, he proposed GIS mapping of every property, universal property-tax coverage, effective collection of development and impact fees, land-value capture, premium FSI, betterment levies and transferable development rights, appropriate regularisation charges, transparent asset monetisation, and improved parking and advertisement revenues.
He also advocated municipal and green bonds, metered water and sewerage charges, rooftop solar projects, the 15 MW Shivari waste-to-energy project, and end-to-end digitisation to prevent revenue leakages. “Those who profit from urban expansion must contribute fairly to the infrastructure that makes such growth possible,” he said.
Dr. Singh further proposed a “Green Lucknow Mission 2035.” Between 2001 and 2021, Lucknow’s vegetation cover reportedly declined from 71.55% to 45.33%, while more than 52% of its water bodies were lost. The mission should establish measurable green-cover targets; restore water bodies and wetlands; protect the Gomti ecosystem; develop green corridors along major roads, the Metro and Outer Ring Road; mandate rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge; introduce heat-resilient planning; and provide for annual GIS and satellite audits.
Dr. Singh said that Lucknow needs more than solutions to its immediate problems—it requires a scientific, green, financially empowered and accountable development framework for the next 25 years.