Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures. (Answer in 250 words) 15

Approach

• Rationale for Addressing this Question:
  • Relevance to GS Paper-III underscores the significance of understanding urban flood dynamics, their causes, and potential solutions within the context of urban development and disaster management.
• Key Objective of the Question:
  • Elucidate the concept of urban floods, their underlying causes, and effective remedies.
• Directive:
  • Assess – Present an informed analysis highlighting the degree of validity in a given statement. Support your viewpoint with pertinent evidence while acknowledging any shortcomings and counter-arguments. Conclude by clearly stating your position in relation to the initial assertion.
• Introduction:
  • Commence by providing a concise definition of urban floods, emphasizing their distinctive characteristics within the urban landscape.
• Body:
  • Firstly, expound extensively on the multifaceted causes of urban floods, emphasizing factors such as inadequate drainage systems, rapid urbanization, climate change, and encroachment of natural waterways.
  • In the subsequent section, present enduring solutions to combat the issue of urban floods, encompassing strategies like improved urban planning, the implementation of sustainable drainage systems, green infrastructure development, and effective disaster preparedness and response mechanisms.
• Conclusion:
  • Conclude by outlining a pragmatic path forward, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive urban planning and the integration of sustainable measures to mitigate the impact of urban floods.

Introduction

Urban flooding has inflicted severe damage on prominent Indian cities in recent years. Hyderabad, for instance, encountered significant flooding last year owing to relentless rainfall. Similarly, Chennai grappled with a devastating flood around five years ago, resulting in substantial losses of life and property. Moreover, Gurugram has experienced a virtual standstill during the monsoon season in recent years, while Mumbai has routinely faced the challenges of widespread flooding and extensive damage during the monsoon period.

Body

Causes of Urban Flooding:

• Meteorological Factors: Intense rainfall, cyclonic storms, and thunderstorms contribute significantly to urban flooding.
• Hydrological Factors: Overbank flow in channel networks and the impact of high tides impede drainage in coastal cities.
• Anthropogenic Factors:
  • Unplanned Urbanization: Unregulated urban expansion leads to the obstruction of natural drainage pathways, often due to construction activities and encroachment on catchment areas, riverbeds, and lake beds. Pollution of urban water bodies and their conversion for developmental purposes further escalates flood risks. Reduced ground infiltration, a result of increased surface paving, augments surface flow velocity and volume.
  • Storm-water Drainage systems: Outdated drainage systems designed for lower rainfall intensity fail to accommodate the higher rainfall levels experienced in Indian urban centers. Poor maintenance exacerbates the vulnerability of Indian cities to flooding.
  • Encroachments: Encroachment along riverbanks and watercourses has amplified the flow of water, reducing the capacity of natural drains and consequently contributing to flooding. The reduction of wetlands from 644 in 1956 to 123 in 2018 has aggravated this issue.
  • Climate Change: Anthropogenic-induced climate change has amplified the occurrence of extreme weather events, further exacerbating urban flooding.
  • Inadequate Solid Waste Management: Improper disposal of domestic, commercial, and industrial waste, as well as the dumping of construction debris into drains, significantly diminishes drainage capacities. Silting, accumulation of non-biodegradable waste, and construction debris further exacerbate this concern.
  • Reduced Seepage: The growing impermeability of Indian cities, attributed not only to increased built-up areas but also to the use of non-porous construction materials, renders the soil impermeable to water.
  • Ineffective Implementation: Despite the provision of measures like rainwater harvesting and sustainable urban drainage systems in regulatory mechanisms, weak adoption at the user level and lax enforcement by authorities undermine their effectiveness.
  • Lack of Community Engagement: Flood control measures planned without the involvement of affected communities often prove unsustainable, as they fail to address the needs of relevant stakeholders.

Measures to be Implemented:

• Implementation of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Guidelines: Upholding the 2010 NDMA guidelines on Urban Flood Management, which entail establishing a National Hydro-meteorological Network for early warning, expanding the coverage of Doppler Weather Radars to encompass all urban regions, and compiling an inventory of existing stormwater drainage systems.
• Adoption of Rainwater Harvesting and Other Mitigation Measures: Utilizing on-channel storage in storm drains, implementing artificial recharge trenches, constructing retention basins, deepening ponds and lakes, and other strategies.
• Sustainable Land Management Practices: Reserving low-lying areas in cities for parks and low-impact human activities, preventing encroachments in natural drainage regions, ensuring riverbed clearance, and enforcing Coastal Regulation Zone rules. Planting resilient, flood-resistant trees in vulnerable areas can also contribute to mitigating the impact of flooding.
• Incorporation of International Best Practices: Incorporating successful international strategies such as deploying ‘Mobile Walls’ similar to those in Germany and adopting the concept of ‘sponge’ cities inspired by Chinese cities. This approach involves substituting impermeable pavements with porous pavements to enhance filtration.
• Strategic Policy Formulation and City Planning: Introducing robust flood mitigation plans integrated within each city’s master plan, ensuring a prompt, well-coordinated, and effective response mechanism in the event of urban floods to minimize casualties and property damage, while expediting early recovery efforts.
• Preservation of Wetlands: Recognizing the vital role of wetlands in mitigating urban flooding, stringent laws proposed by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) to safeguard urban lakes, their catchment areas, and feeder channels.

Conclusion

With climate change exacerbating the frequency of floods, the impact of unregulated urban development has further compounded the issue. Recent flood occurrences in regions such as Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala highlight the urgency for India to draw valuable insights. The crucial imperative lies in addressing the root causes and swiftly implementing effective remedial actions to combat and mitigate the destructive consequences of flooding.

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