Lucknow floods: Gomti water reaches Ekana stadium before India-West Indies T20

The Gomti river floodwaters in Lucknow have reached within 100 metres of the Ekana Stadium, where India and West Indies are scheduled to play the first T20 international on Tuesday, 6 October. A 100-bed community health centre in Faizullaganj is fully submerged, with doctors treating patients on a drain bank. Water is 6 to 8 feet deep on roads in the area, and residents are using boats to move. A service lane near the UP Police headquarters has 1 foot of water, and an underpass has 2 feet.

The stadium management has said the match will start on time and there is no impact on the event. Bhaskar.com reports that the stadium is on higher ground and water reaching it is unlikely. Authorities have dropped boulders near gate number 1 as a precaution. TV9 Hindi reports that a large drain near the stadium has overflowed, contributing to the flooding. Residents in Faizullaganj accuse the administration of not providing adequate relief or setting up shelters. The flood has forced many families to leave their homes, with some reporting thefts in abandoned houses.