Urban Flooding and Building Safety

Source-This post on Urban Flooding and Building Safety has been created based on the article “Human failure” published in “The Hindu” on 30 July 2024.

UPSC Syllabus-GS Paper-1- Urbanization, their problems and their remedies. and GS Paper-3-Disaster Management.

Context- A tragic accident at an IAS coaching center in New Delhi killed three students due to basement flooding. This incident highlights the growing issue of local urban flooding that is aggravated by human errors.

As India urbanizes and land values rise, buildings are often used for different purposes than originally planned. In mixed-use buildings, basements are frequently turned into income sources. This can lead to unsafe practices.

Basements have limited access and ventilation, making them prone to flooding. Water collects there first, creating hazards for occupants.

What are the regulations regarding usage of basement?

1) Rules prohibit using basements for living spaces, offices, or residences. However, they can be used for storage, parking, and utilities like electrical equipment and generators.

2) The Delhi Master Plan 2021 requires coaching centers to get approval from fire authorities and other relevant bodies before using basements.

What are the reasons behind this tragic incident?

1) Permits and Notifications- It’s unclear if the IAS coaching Centre had the proper permits or notified authorities about basement changes. In India, people often avoid reporting such changes to bypass bureaucratic hassles and potential bribes.

2) Issues with Civic Infrastructure– The incident at the coaching centers reveals problems with inadequate infrastructure. A burst stormwater drain flooded the basement, highlighting a common issue in many cities where routine flooding is caused by poor land use and construction practices. For ex- in 2015, Chennai’s inadequate infrastructure caused basement flooding that damaged electrical equipment and disrupted businesses.

Read More- Urban Flooding in India-Causes, Impacts and Remedies

What should be the way forward?

1) Flood-Resilient Building Design-

A) Ensuring no water entry up to 1-1.5 meters above road level

B) Using concrete, non-porous compound walls

C) Installing flood-barrier gates

D) Implementing non-return valves on plumbing lines.

2) Special pumping arrangements should be installed to mitigate flooding.

Question for practice

What are the regulations regarding usage of basement? What are the reasons behind this tragic incident?