Feroze Varun Gandhi on cities’ flooding: Perils of unplanned urbanisation

Source– The post is based on the article “Feroze Varun Gandhi on cities’ flooding: Perils of unplanned urbanisation” published in “The Indian Express” on 31st July 2023.

Syllabus: GS1- Urbanisation. GS3- Disaster management

Relevance: Issues related to flooding in cities

News – In the past few weeks, three major cities — Delhi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai — have been flooded.

Why has damage and disruption caused by flooding have increased after independence?

Due to unplanned urbanisation and population growth, there has been a surge in construction, particularly in low-lying areas. It has resulted in the depletion of water bodies.  

The process of concretization has reduced rainwater percolation. It has led to an increase in stormwater run-off.

Most Indian cities are situated on the bank of rivers, having extensive floodplains and wetlands. India has lost 40% of its wetlands in the last three decades.

For instance, Baroda experienced a 30% decline in its wetlands between 2005 and 2018. This loss of natural “blue infrastructure” has heightened the risks of flooding.

What should be done to stop flooding?

Understand the gravity of the problem- It is essential to conduct studies in all cities to assess the catchment area and flooding risks associated with urban water bodies and land use.

Comprehensive lake and river management plans need to be developed. Active involvement from the local community is needed to ensure proper maintenance and the removal of encroachments.

Geographic information systems can be utilised to tag local water bodies. It will aid in the monitoring of encroachments and understanding their seasonal variations.

There is a need to enhance early warning systems for providing real-time updates on local weather patterns. Local rainfall data should be integrated with the Central Water Commission and regional flood control efforts to improve flood preparedness.

As rainfall patterns change, simulations will be essential. These simulations can be incorporated into flood risk maps and insurance products.

City-wide databases should also be established to facilitate immediate relief efforts in the event of a flooding-related disaster.

Improve drainage and stormwater networks– Most of India’s cities and towns lack a well-functioning sewerage network. In Delhi, the drainage system has a limited capacity. Its stormwater drains are quite old.

In Delhi, there are areas where the drainage slopes are incorrectly positioned, leading to issues against gravity. In other places, there is no clear distinction between drainage and stormwater drains.

To address these issues, most cities need to develop comprehensive drainage master plans.

It is essential to conduct surveys of existing pipelines to identify locations prone to waterlogging.

There is a need to ensure that stormwater networks remain separate from the drainage network.

Improving urban planning-

In Delhi, the city drainage system is managed by a range of civic agencies. It leads to coordination challenges. Information is not shared or shared with delay. It leads to a lack of transparency. Coordination between agencies and institutions must improve.

Awareness generation– Furthermore, there is a need to enhance awareness about wetland and water body conservation.

The efforts made by the Central government, such as promoting the National Mission for Clean Ganga, conducting a Census on Pan-India water bodies, are encouraging steps. However, a well-defined urban water policy is necessary.

Regulatory bodies like the Central Wetland Regulatory Authority should be granted statutory powers to enforce conservation measures. Additionally, involving local communities in the conservation efforts would be beneficial.

Identify and replicate local examples-

1. Mangalore– Earlier, wastewater flowed through open drains and into the city’s water bodies, polluting the freshwater sources.

The Mangalore City Corporation established wastewater treatment plants and created connections for end-users, particularly for industries. These industries faced challenges due to a limited and irregular water supply.

To address this, the MCC proposed supplying treated effluent to industries to fulfil its industrial water requirements. Private entities within MSEZL contributed to 70% of the operations and maintenance costs for the pumps and sewage treatment plant.

2. Kaikondrahalli Lake in Bengaluru – It suffered from sewage inflow and eutrophication. There was encroachment on the lake bed.

BBMP went for a community-driven approach to revive the lake in a phased manner. BBMP demarcated the lake’s boundaries.

Pollution was tackled by diversion of sewage flow through tapping pipelines.

Development of inlets and outlets for the lake was carried out. Embankments and a pathway around the waterbody were created. All of this was done with local participation.