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Bonfires missing in Lucknow, homeless left in the cold amid civic apathy
For hundreds of homeless people and daily-wage labourers who spend nights on footpaths, near markets, transport hubs and construction sites, bonfires remain the most accessible source of warmth during winter. However, such arrangements are yet to be seen in many parts of the city.
As dense fog and bitter chill grip the state capital, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has failed to provide bonfire (alaav) facilities at several major public locations, exposing homeless people and daily-wage workers to harsh winter conditions. The absence of bonfires has been reported from multiple high-footfall areas, even as civic officials claim that a citywide drive has begun.
With chilly winds and low visibility becoming routine after sunset, residents inside homes are already relying on blankets and warm clothing. For hundreds of homeless people and daily-wage labourers who spend nights on footpaths, near markets, transport hubs and construction sites, bonfires remain the most accessible source of warmth during winter. However, such arrangements are yet to be seen in many parts of the city.
During an HT visit on Thursday to areas, including Patrakarpuram, near Lohia Hospital, and Jopling Road, no bonfire arrangements were found. Residents of Gomti Nagar, Aashiana, Transport Nagar and Jankipuram also reported the absence of bonfires at major intersections and crowded locations.
The situation has raised questions about LMC’s winter preparedness at a time when night temperatures are dropping rapidly and fog has begun to blanket the city.
Despite annual instructions to ensure winter relief measures, including bonfires and shelter homes, the ground situation appears unchanged in many parts of the city.
Greater Lucknow Jankalyan Mahasamiti president Roop Kumar Sharma said that according to information available with him, not a single bonfire has been set up in the Gomti Nagar area. “None of the major junctions or crowded places in Gomti Nagar have been provided with alaav wood so far,” Sharma said, adding that the situation reflects administrative apathy towards the poor.
Sharma also flagged the shortage of shelter facilities, stating that he had repeatedly requested Zone-4 officer Shilpa Kumari to set up an additional temporary night shelter near Kendriya Vidyalaya, close to the LMC vending zone. “A large number of homeless daily-wage workers are sleeping in the open during these cold nights, but no action has been taken so far,” he alleged.
When contacted, LMC chief engineer (civil) Mahesh Verma said they had identified 550 locations across Lucknow for setting up bonfires.
Bonfire wood would be provided at several key locations, including Patrakarpuram, Husadiya, Sikandarbagh and other major intersections apart from government hospitals, Verma said. However, he did not clearly confirm whether the drive had started across all zones or explain the reported absence of bonfires in several major areas.
Echoing similar concerns, Gokhle Marg resident Mahak Agarwal said there was no visible supply of bonfire wood at any intersection in the area for homeless and vulnerable people.
With winter conditions intensifying, residents and civil society groups have urged the LMC to immediately deploy bonfire facilities and expand temporary shelter arrangements, warning that further delays could endanger the lives of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
